The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation held a hearing on July 22 on “Rethinking the Children’s Television Act for a Digital Media Age.” ION Media Networks Executive Vice President and NAB Television Board member John Lawson testified on behalf of broadcasters.

Also testifying at the hearing were Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski; Gary Knell, president of Sesame Workshop; Sandra Calvert, director of the Children’s Digital Media Center at Georgetown University; Cyma Zarghami, president of Nickelodeon and MTVN Family Group; and James Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media (Genachowski is a founding board member of the group).

This hearing, led by Chairman Jay Rockefeller (WV), a longtime advocate of content issues, was designed to open dialog about how to provide quality children’s programming while protecting kids in the digital age. The FCC also discussed details about an inquiry into the Children’s Television Act and other platforms that offer children’s programming in the digital age.

Click here for testimony highlights.