What Stays Dark on Weeknights?

(PEOPLE) PITY AMERICA’S TELEVISION NETWORK: During the past five years they’ve lost nearly a quarter of their audience share to that Nielsen eroder, cable. Now they have something‚Äîand someone‚Äîelse to worry about: Pat Marker, a Minnesota elementary school teacher who has persuaded more than 37,000 students to give up the tube Mondays through Thursdays. How does he succeed in a battle that so many parents have lost? Simple: bribery. Just say no, Marker tells students, and you might win prizes, donated by local merchants, that range from erasers to autographed hockey sticks to even boom boxes.

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“TV Busters” Cut Down On Tube Time

(Seattle Times) What does going back to school mean? It means new clothes, new notebooks, new teachers and new friends. And it means homework.

During the school year, kids have a lot to do. After-school sports, music lessons and doing things with friends and family all take up time. Then there’s that history assignment to finish – and the math problems to solve, and the spelling words to memorize. Sometimes it feels like there’s no time left just to do nothing.

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