Last year, the Disney Channel declared it no longer would accept ads from food makers whose products didn’t meet a set standard of nutritional values. Nickelodeon has been slow to follow suit.

“As an entertainment company, Nickelodeon’s primary mission is to make the highest quality entertainment content in the world for kids,” a network statement told a group of senators asking Nick to follow Disney’s lead. “That is our expertise. We believe strongly that we must leave the science of nutrition to the experts.”

The network has made moves to promote nutrition and activity among its young viewers. In fact, it dedicates 10 percent of its promotional airtime to broadcast health-related messages; but critics don’t overlook how important food advertising—much of it for unhealthy food—is to Nickelodon’s bottom line. While food advertising has dropped 45 percent on Nick since 2008, it still remains Nick’s third most lucrative advertising category (behind movies and toys). (New York Times)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and two children. Follow him on Twitter.