WASHINGTON, D.C. – Two new public service announcements (PSAs) are being added to the lineup of spots that are available for use by cable systems and networks as part of the cable industry's multimedia consumer education campaign to promote responsible television viewing, Cable Puts You in Control , the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) said today.
The new spots will be distributed via satellite to NCTA member companies later this week for the purpose of being incorporated into the initiative, which kicked off this spring. Dozens of cable operators and networks have committed to airing the PSAs as part of the industry's consumer awareness effort.
Results of Cable Puts You in Control from the month of May show that PSAs previously designed for the initiative, by Starz Encore Group and MTV Networks, aired in May more than 33,000 times on cable systems across the country. Some versions of the spot direct consumers to the cable industry's website, www.ControlYourTV.org, for more information about cable's programming choices, responsible television viewing, media literacy, and related subjects.
One outcome of the significant PSA air time is that web traffic to ControlYourTV.org has increased in recent weeks with more than 1,000 unique visitors per day on average now accessing the site.
“The cable industry is diligently working to follow through on its commitment to help families understand the tools, technology and resources that are available to help them make responsible TV viewing decisions,” said Robert Sachs , President & CEO, NCTA. “The resources available through the Web site provide significant information that helps parents understand the impact of media on their families, especially children.”
The two new PSAs, produced by MTV Networks, have been produced in both Spanish and English with generic and customizable versions available. The spots, which are close captioned, are designed to emphasize the choice, control and education that cable provides so families can make responsible TV viewing decisions:
• “Under Control,” a colorful, animated :30 PSA demonstrates that TV is one of the few things in our lives that we can control, thanks to parental controls offered by cable companies.
• “Couch,” a light-hearted, live-action :30 PSA highlights the many genre choices that cable offers for a variety of tastes and audiences.
The PSAs will be distributed by NCTA via satellite in two feeds scheduled for Wednesday, July 14, and Thursday, July 15. The spots currently are available for viewing on the Control Your TV website.