ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 29, 1996 TAG: 9603290063
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-7 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: Associated Press
A group that wants TV and other media to be more educational asked the government Thursday to protect children from what it considers exploitative marketing on the Internet.
The Center for Media Education said a number of businesses, including Kellogg's and Frito Lay have designed web sites ``to capture the loyalty and spending power'' of children.
Kellogg's, Frito Lay insisted their sites don't exploit children. ``It is not a soft sell,'' said Frito Lay spokesman Tod MacKenzie. ``It is almost a no-sell.''
Many of the web sites are advertisements in disguise that unfairly target children, the Center for Media Education said. It asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate and set guidelines to protect kids.
The FTC does not regulate advertising for children over the Internet and other on-line services, said FTC spokeswoman Bonnie Jansen. But she said the agency's jurisdiction over deceptive market practices does extend to the international computer network.
One on-line activity on Frito Lay's web site asks visitors to describe their dream date and choose which of the company's snacks their virtual date would prefer. The virtual date then is pictured holding the chosen snack.
LENGTH: Short : 34 linesby CNB