Molly will watch abc kids from 9-10 in the mornings and sometimes a (kids) dvd in the afternoon. we are usually eating or reading during the news so it hasnt really come up whether she should watch it or not. she gets upset by scary things in cartoons tho (the shark in nemo and the grasshoppers in a bugs life ) so i wouldnt let her watch the violent stories on the news as these would just upset her i think and she is bit young to be exposed to the 'real' world as such.
I do think there are too many theories (like with anything to do with parenting LOL) out there as to what is a right amount and content of tv for young ones - as you can see from reading all these different posts it is a choice parents have to make for themselves. i supppose we use tv as an entertainment device for Molly, she enjoys it ( which i dont think is a bad thing) but knows that it is not the only thing to do all day and that when i say it goes off it does.