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Limiting television viewing is a standard of pediatric anticipatory guidance. The educational benefit of some TV shows may be an exception. Sesame Street was introduced in 1969 as an educational program for preschool-aged children. Evidence showed a clear, immediate increase in educational test scores among preschool-aged viewers. Now, researchers have used ecological data to assess long-term educational and economic benefits of the show.
Sesame Street was primarily broadcast by stations affiliated with the Public Broadcasting System on UHF (ultra-high frequency) channels, which resulted in restriction of broadcast reception to about one third of the U.S. population in its first few years. Using data on the geographic patterns of broadcast a…