Electronic code can programme children's TV viewing

AMERICA, the land that provides so much of our television, may finally have brought us the answer to many parents' most nagging problem - how to make children more selective about what they watch.

One hit of the Consumer Electronic Show that closed in Las Vegas yesterday was a device called TV Space Allowance. Each child in a family is allocated a weekly ration of viewing. They are then given secret codes to activate the television. Once the allotted time has run out, the set automatically switches off and they will not be able to get it to work until the start of the next week. The system can also block out certain times, such as homework periods, or prevent late- night viewing.

By pushing a button, the children can see how much time they have left. They can trade time with siblings and can carry forward unused time to the next week. The system, which costs about pounds 85, can be used to control computer games playing.

'When I first showed the prototype to my kids three years ago, they thought it was going to be their worst nightmare but it hasn't been,' says Randal Levenson, its inventor. 'Over time the kids are learning that there is a lot more to life than television and they are finding lots of other things to be interested in.'

Mr Levenson, who has three children aged 6 to 13, says there has been little conflict. He negotiated a four-hour allowance with each child and anyone in the family can watch while the set is on.

Mr Levenson says his children are reading more, doing more things outside the home, and learning new skills.

One benefit of TV Space Allowance is developing the children's ability to plan and save - turning the television off during advertising breaks for instance.

But they are also discovering alternatives to television and, by offering to pay his children dollars 50 each time they have saved 50 hours, Mr Levenson has given not watching a positive aspect.

Mr Levenson, an engineer by training but an artist by profession, says he designed TV Space Allowance because he was 'just a dad who had a problem'.

His children think he still has one. 'The kids put me on a six- hour allowance recently but I do cheat sometimes,' admits Mr Levenson.