STRONG-ARMING THE TUBE

By ERIC POOLEY/WASHINGTON

Bill Clinton wants to see better children's shows on TV--or else. Over the weekend his aides were wrangling with broadcasters over a "voluntary" agreement to run three hours of educational programming on each station each week. (FCC chairman Reed Hundt's attempt to mandate such a rule ended in a deadlock between Republican and Democratic commissioners.) Clinton hoped to announce an agreement Monday at a White House conference where such advertisers as Pizza Hut, Lego and Reebok would voice support for the new educational shows. But if broadcasters balked, Clinton had a hammer: he threatened to appoint a loyalist to the FCC in August, then jam the plan down the stations' throats.

--By Eric Pooley/Washington