WASHINGTON, D.C. – A major component of the cable industry’s new parental control consumer education campaign was launched today, as Robert Sachs , President & CEO, National Cable & Telecommunications (NCTA), unveiled the initiative’s website and announced additional measures to help parents and caregivers control the flow of television programming into their homes.
In keynote remarks (See Attached) to the annual Forum of the Cable Television Public Affairs Association, Sachs unveiled www.ControlYourTV.org, a website managed by Cable in the Classroom , providing comprehensive information about tools and resources cable provides so that families can control programming that comes into their homes and make educated and responsible decisions about television viewing. He also announced that leading cable companies and programming networks are working to make it easier for families to monitor and block programming they may choose not to view.
“No one wants policymakers to have to choose between protecting children or preserving the First Amendment. So if we, as an industry, actively promote the choices and controls available to consumers, there will be no need for anyone to do so,” Sachs said.
Making a new commitment, leading cable companies including the 10 largest NCTA member companies and many smaller cable companies – a group representing about 85 percent of all cable subscribers – will make available upon request, at no additional charge, channel blocking technology to any cable customer who doesn’t already possess the equipment necessary to block channels. In addition, NCTA member cable networks reaffirmed their commitment to apply TV ratings and content labels to their programming, put the appropriate rating icon on-screen at the beginning of rated programs, and encode the ratings in programming so that they can be interpreted by a V-Chip equipped television set.
Meanwhile, Sachs said information on the ControlYourTV.org website includes specific instructions about how to program parental control technology, descriptions of the TV ratings system and V-chip, descriptions of a sampling of TV shows appropriate for children and family viewing, and a list of media literacy resources.
In addition to the new website, Sachs highlighted other elements of Cable Puts You in Control, including:
- Public service announcements to be distributed next month, which will run on dozens of cable channels;
- Customer communications materials that NCTA is developing, for use by cable companies in their local communities and by cable programmers, and
- Media literacy workshops around the country sponsored by Cable in the Classroom and the National PTA.
“These actions will assure that parents and caregivers truly have the tools to control what programming their children watch,” Sachs said.
NCTA is the principal trade association of the cable television industry in the United States . NCTA represents cable operators serving more than 90 percent of the nation's cable television households and more than 200 cable program networks, as well as equipment suppliers and providers of other services to the cable industry.
Cable in the Classroom leads the cable telecommunications industry's commitment to education – a nonprofit foundation committed to improving teaching and learning for children in schools, at home, and in their communities.
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