The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today that it will spread $15 million among 16 rural public TV stations to help them switch to digital transmission. Among the grantees are some of the nation's smallest public TV stations as well as the West Virginia, South Dakota, North Dakota and Kentucky networks.

"There are enough fine children's entertainments being made that there is no excuse for Clifford's Really Big Movie, a really lame attempt to expand the marketing reach of the PBS-TV series." A New York Daily News critic pans the kiddie film opening today at theatres. Scholastic is promoting the popular PBS Kids character and his canine side-kicks in kids' meals at Wendy's.