In a bid to avoid possible FCC rules on the broadcast of violent content, the big 4 networks and the Ad Council are launching public service announcements (PSAs) to educate parents about the V-chip.
Jacqui Grunfeld, ex-Touchstone TV, named NBC Studios vp- business affairs… John Greenagel, ex-Advanced Micro Devices, becomes Semiconductor Industry Assn. dir.- communications, replacing Molly Tuttle.
Texas Instruments said it shipped more than 24 million DSL ports in 2003 to a total of over 40 million to date. It said the growth was driven by the rapid customer adoption of the AR7 modem-on-a-chip, along with customer growth in Asia.
NCTA Pres. Robert Sachs announced a new cable initiative to ensure every customer of a leading MSO who wants parental controls will have them. The country’s top 10 MSOs agreed to give free set-top boxes equipped with parental controls, or install video “traps” at the poles, to oblige any customer who requests controls and doesn’t already have that technology available to them. Sachs said it was unclear how much the initiative would cost, but each company would bear the cost for its customers. The commitment by MSOs serving 85% of U.S. cable households “fills a gap identified by members of Congress for those households that want to block programming which they deem inappropriate for their family’s viewing but don’t have the equipment or want to pay extra to do so,” Sachs told a conference of the Cable TV Public Affairs Assn. (CTPAA).
There could be efforts to broaden the broadcast decency bill in the Senate to apply decency regulations to cable. At the Media Institute, congressional staffers said Mon. it was likely cable regulation and media ownership would be part of the debate once the bill (S-2056), introduced by Sen. Brownback (R-Kan.), reached the Senate floor. Senate staffers said they expected floor consideration of the bill within weeks, and one staffer said the bill would probably be on the floor before the Senate recess beginning April 12.
Advertisers urged lawmakers not to place the FCC in the role of national TV critic and censor, in a letter to senators Wed. The AAAA, AAF and the Assn. of National Advertisers asked the senators to oppose a “violence safe harbor” amendment proposed by Sen. Hollings (D-S.C.) saying it raised “serious” First Amendment concerns by allowing the government to “broadly” restrict programming that contains violent content. Under the amendment, the FCC would be required to study the effectiveness of the V-chip (CD March 10 p1). If the FCC finds the V-chip insufficiently effective, it must set rules to prohibit the broadcast of violent content during hours when children are likely to “comprise a substantial portion of the audience.” The bill would also make it illegal for broadcasters to distribute violent content not specifically rated for violence. “Such a scheme could wipe out a wide range of programming, from cartoons to dramas to police shows, based on the subjective definitions of the FCC,” said Dan Jaffe, ANA exec. vp-govt. affairs. Jaffe said the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled widespread government censorship of speech that’s lawful for adults can’t be imposed in the name of protecting children when more narrowly tailored alternatives exist. The Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) said it too worried about the Hollings amendment. “It’s the desire of regulators to ignore First Amendment, not controversial programming, which Americans should regard as truly offensive,” said Braden Cox, CEI technology counsel. The CEI said consumers can be their own regulators by registering their displeasure: “Truly offensive content -- as opposed to occasional crudeness or political incorrectness -- will be met with vanishing audiences and no advertisers.”
The House easily passed broadcast decency legislation on Thurs., but questions remained about how the Senate’s version of the bill would meld with HR-3717. The bill passed 391-22- 1, with scores of members speaking in favor and a few raising First Amendment concerns as their rationale for opposition. The White House said it supports the bill. There was little controversy on the floor, as the most disputed amendments -- media ownership and elimination of fines against on-air talent -- weren’t brought up for a vote.
The FCC eliminated a prohibition on Bell companies and their long distance affiliates using the same operating, installation and maintenance (OI&M) functions. Voting at its agenda meeting Thurs., the agency said allowing Bells to integrate such services will enable them to be more efficient and provide cost savings that can be passed onto the Bells’ long distance consumers.
The V-chip provision in the Senate version of indecency legislation (S-2056), which passed the Commerce Committee 23- 0 Tues. (CD March 10 p1), was hailed by Toronto-based Tri- Vision International, holder of key V-chip patents, as marking a possible “resurgence” in the technology’s “importance.” Tri-Vision said the legislation would make it a crime to distribute unrated violent programming that would escape detection by the V-chip. It didn’t mention an amendment, introduced by the Committee’s ranking Democrat, Sen. Hollings (D-S.C.), and approved by the panel, that appeared to call the V-chip into question. The amendment would require the FCC to study the effectiveness of the V- chip. If the FCC finds the V-chip “insufficiently effective,” the Commission must set rules prohibiting the broadcast of violent content during hours when children are “reasonably likely to comprise a substantial portion of the audience.” Tri-Vision said more than 80 million TV sets in the U.S. were equipped with “at least some form” of V-chip technology.
Cable operators were mostly spared regulation in the Senate’s version of indecency legislation (S-2056), which passed the Commerce Committee by a 23-0 vote on Tues. But hopes for the bill were in doubt Tues. after it was amended to include a media ownership provision some senators said would scuttle the measure. After the markup, bill sponsor Sen. Brownback (R-Kan.) said he had concerns that some of the amendments, particularly the media ownership provision, could stall the bill in the Senate.