ANOTHER Reality Show?

We have a great time on the morning show. I come in the studio everyday with a plan, a general idea, but I'm always looking for new ideas. I talk with Neal and Jack and Dr. Joe and get their input.

Today I saw a story about a new show coming to MTV called "16 and Pregnant." At first I thought , "Oh great! Another show glamorizing irresponsible living and people getting their "15 minutes of fame." Upon further review---I think it's a great idea. Here's why.....

I did a search, typing in "16 and pregnant" and went to a website that I didn't even know about. 16 and pregnant.com. It's a site that seems to offer some good information to teens.

I kept searching and found a release from MTV. Here are some of the highlights:

This summer, MTV brings one of the most controversial and thought-provoking topics to its viewers with the new series, "16 & Pregnant." With statistics showing that three in ten girls in the U.S. will get pregnant before the age of 20, the show will take an intimate look inside the lives of pregnant teenagers as they face the challenges that come with being a young parent and dealing with relationships, finance, school and other new responsibilities. "16 & Pregnant" premieres on Thursday, June 11th at 10:00pm ET/PT and will have six one-hour episodes.

"MTV has a long history of reflecting the lives of our viewers with compelling reality stories," said Tony DiSanto, President of Programming MTV. "'16 & Pregnant' follows the journey of six young women going through an immensely life changing experience at such a young age.

Some callers today worried about MTV being the right place for a show like this. I think it's the perfect place. This is what teens are watching. I think if this was on "DATELINE" or "60 MINUTES" that would be a waste. We need to get the message delivered in a way or format that will be recieved.

I do think this is not enough. Parents, mentors, friends, coaches....need to tell the kids about it, maybe watch it with them, and then (maybe most importantly) discuss it after.