TELEVISION Milestone year as TV-Turnoff Week turns 10

By NOEL HOLSTON
LONG ISLAND NEWSDAY
A funny e-mail alert this past week reminded me that we're coming up on the 10th anniversary of TV-Turnoff Week, a crusade to persuade people to reject demon video and embrace, well, almost any activity that puts you in contact with other people, animals or your own thoughts. "This year," it said, "an estimated 7.6 people are expected to participate April 19 through 25."
The funny thing was, I wasn't certain that "7.6 people" was a typo. I've known more people over the years who've received those famously rumored Nielsen "sweeps" diaries than people who've gone cold turkey for Turnoff Week, shunning even "Law & amp; Order" and "Nova."
The correct figure was, in fact, 7.6 million people. Which is still not a lot of repentant couch potatoes when you consider that a CBS fizzler such as "The Stones" got an audience almost that big.
But this may be the year to join the Turnoff brigade -- if not for yourself, for the sake of your small children. The April issue of Pediatrics magazine has a provocative story about a new study that suggests that children who watch a lot of TV in their toddler years are more likely to have limited attention spans when they reach school age.
Or, to put it another way, it may be that "Sesame Street" is being brought to you by the letters "ADHD."
For more about the Turnoff movement and this year's fast, look at the Web site www.tvturnoff.org.