The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the late 1980s appeared to pursue its own agenda of broadcast deregulation, notwithstanding congressional pressures. The apparent power shift is evident in a case study of the interactions between Congress and the FCC on the subject of children's television. In the early 1970s, the FCC tended to accede to Congress and other regulatory players with regard to children's television. In the second half of the decade, too, Congress used oversight, subcommittee, and appropriations hearings to let the FCC know where it stood on broadcast policy and the FCC generally complied with Congress' regulatory goals. In the deregulatory mood of the early 1980s, the children's television issue was assigned a low priority at the FCC. In Congress, Democrats fought for greater regulation, and continued to do so through the decade. Lawmakers criticized the FCC for failing to pursue the matter. Efforts to increase television regulation either died in congressional committee or were vetoed by President Reagan. The FCC's alliance with the President allowed the commission to ignore pro-regulatory moves from Congress, the courts, and citizens' groups alike. Since President Bush took office, Congress has approved limits on the commercialization of children's television and the FCC has supported such moves. (Sixty-nine endnotes are included.) (SG)