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Archives|Mississippi Agency Votes for a TV Ban On 'Sesame Street'
  
https://www.nytimes.com/1970/05/03/archives/
mississippi-agency-votes-for-a-tv-ban-on-sesame-street.html

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Mississippi Agency Votes for a TV Ban On 'Sesame Street'

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May 3, 1970
[83156802_3]
Credit...The New York Times Archives
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JACKSON, Miss., May 2 -- The State Commission for Edu cational
Television has vetoed the showing of "Sesame Street," regarded as one
of the leading pre-school educational tele vision series, on the
state ETV system because of racial grounds.

A member of the commission said, "Some of the members of the
commission were very much opposed to showing the series because it
uses a highly inte grated cast of children."

The same member who asked not to be identified said, "Main ly the
commission members felt that Mississippi was not yet ready for it."

Four members of the commis sion, which was recently cre ated by the
State Legislature, were appointed by Gov. John Bell Williams. The
commission was believed to have split to 2 against allowing the tele
vision series to be shown.

Free Choice Backed

Heading the commission is James McKay, a young Jackson banker, who is
the son-in-law of former Mayor Allen Thomp son of Jackson. Mr.
Thompson is president and leading spokes man for FOCUS, a new group
in Mississippi that is seeking to re-establish the principle of
"freedom of choice" in public schools.

Recently the Legislature ap propriated $5,367,441 for opera tion and
expansion of the state educational TV network. Dur ing the debate on
the appropri ation measure some legislators contended that the newly
cre, ated commission would properly screen programs that should not
be shown in the state.

"Sesame Street," according to the national parent-teacher magazine,
cost $8-million to produce and provides a 26- week, 130-program
series free to local educational television stations.

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