An ongoing project has been established to (1) summarize and disseminate results of research on children and television to the creative community responsible for commercial and educational children's television, and (2) defuse the issues that have created a rift between this community and the academic community. The research efforts discussed in the two volumes of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) update on Television and Human Behavior (1983) are currently being summarized and condensed into a 20-page document designed for the creative community. An assessment of the need for such materials indicates that a very small proportion of academic television research is useful, or at least perceived as useful, to the creative community, although much curiosity exists for relevant research. Six areas of research useful to both academics and the creators of children's television have been identified to guide selection of research reports from the NIMH update: (1) how children learn television's positive messages, (2) what television features are most attractive to children and maintain their interest and attention, (3) what children understand about television people and events, (4) how television is related to children's other intellectual skills, (5) how children might be taught to use and view television wisely, and (6) how television might be used effectively to promote widespread education on social issues. Tables provide summaries of research findings on attention, age-related changes in comprehension, and learning prosocial behavior from television. Twelve references are listed. (LMM)