I have found myself in the last few weeks explaining the difference in programming of PBS verses Nickelodeon to parents. As a parent, get to know the program your children like and see if there is an educational value to it. For instance, Curious George on PBS often explores Science and Math ideas in common everyday life stories. Dora on Nickelodeon explores counting in Spanish and English as she goes on her adventures. One program my children have become a fan of recently is Power Rangers and while I personally like much of the Power Rangers, young children do not learn counting, number ideas, or reading while watching it.
So as a parent, take control of your values and what it is you want your children to watch. If you want educational programing to be a priority, then control the remote.
We're a PBS family. We have a very limited cable package, and don't really miss all the extra channels (at least not most of them), but we watch Curious George during breakfast every morning, and often catch Clifford right before naptime. So math and science lessons with breakfast, and morals with lunch :D
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