FIRST OFF . . .

Action for Children’s Television Monday asked the Federal Communications Commission to ban children’s cartoons that feature toy manufacturers’ products as central characters. In a petition to the FCC, the Cambridge, Mass.-based group said such shows are program-length commercials that violate an FCC policy requiring a separation between programming and commercial messages. The petition follows a federal appeals court decision last week that ruled programs based on toy manufacturers’ products are commercial matter and require sponsorship identification. In that case, the Los Angeles-based National Assn. for Better Broadcasting had filed a complaint against KCOP-TV, Los Angeles, for airing “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe,” based on a line of fantasy-action figures made by Mattel Inc., without identifying Mattel as a sponsor.