cable's family tiers: designed to fail - Parents Television Council
cable's family tiers: designed to fail - Parents Television Council
cable's family tiers: designed to fail - Parents Television Council
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Volume 8 • Number 2<br />
TM<br />
Because Our Children Are Watching<br />
TM<br />
CABLE’S FAMILY TIERS: DESIGNED TO FAIL<br />
Dear Friend of the PTC,<br />
Last month I reported <strong>to</strong> you how the<br />
indecency battle has become white-hot. In<br />
November, I spent seven hours testifying before<br />
the Senate Commerce Committee, and on behalf<br />
of the PTC’s one million members, demanded<br />
that if broadcasters and cable opera<strong>to</strong>rs don’t<br />
clean up their act, then Congress must act. The<br />
biggest headline that day, however, was Federal<br />
Communications<br />
Commission (FCC)<br />
And frankly, the <strong>family</strong> tier plans that have been<br />
proposed reek of duplicity. They are <strong>designed</strong> <strong>to</strong><br />
<strong>fail</strong>.<br />
What are they offering families as “<strong>family</strong><br />
programming?” Just look at what you won’t get if<br />
you take them up on this. No sports channels. I<br />
guess they think families don’t like sports. No movie<br />
channels. Families don’t like movies? No religious<br />
programming for any<br />
families if they want it.<br />
Chairman Kevin<br />
If you want news, you<br />
Martin’s endorsement<br />
of what the PTC has<br />
been demanding for<br />
the past three years:<br />
Cable Choice. Cable<br />
Choice means, very<br />
simply, that you and<br />
I would have the<br />
right <strong>to</strong> take and pay<br />
for only those cable channels we want. It is such<br />
a common-sensical, fair solution that the cable<br />
companies knew they had <strong>to</strong> scurry – fast – <strong>to</strong><br />
s<strong>to</strong>p our momentum.<br />
So they came up with their positivesounding<br />
idea: “Family <strong>tiers</strong>.”<br />
Their compromise is laughable. And it isn’t<br />
the solution <strong>to</strong> the problem.<br />
While this compromise is, in fact, an<br />
admission that families should not have <strong>to</strong> subsidize<br />
raunchy, offensive programs that they don’t want<br />
<strong>to</strong> watch, the <strong>family</strong> <strong>tiers</strong> concept is a red herring<br />
– smoke and mirrors – that lets the industry look<br />
like it cares about families while continuing <strong>to</strong> avoid<br />
facing the real marketplace of fed-up consumers.<br />
get CNN. But not Fox<br />
or MSNBC. On and<br />
on it goes.<br />
When the cable<br />
announcements were<br />
made the press immediately<br />
came <strong>to</strong> us<br />
for our evaluation.<br />
Our opinion? The<br />
Time Warner plan is a very bad joke. The Comcast<br />
plan is just more foolishness from the cable<br />
industry. I bet these cable companies can’t find<br />
one of their own employees interested in their<br />
“<strong>family</strong> tier” plan.<br />
So why did they offer this solution?<br />
Because they want it <strong>to</strong> <strong>fail</strong>. The cable<br />
companies are making <strong>family</strong> <strong>tiers</strong> so unattractive<br />
that the idea will <strong>fail</strong> for lack of support, and then<br />
they can say <strong>to</strong> the whole world, “See? The public<br />
really doesn’t want <strong>family</strong> programming!” It’s<br />
calculated and callous.<br />
The only option that gives families what they<br />
really want is Cable Choice. To force you and me<br />
Continued on page 2<br />
C O N T E N T S<br />
● Page 2<br />
TAKE ACTION!<br />
Tell Your Congressman<br />
YOU Want Cable Choice<br />
● Page 3<br />
Hollywood’s Contempt<br />
for Religion Reaches<br />
New Lows<br />
● Page 4<br />
Channel Surfing<br />
● Page 5<br />
Film Critic Michael<br />
Medved Provides Film<br />
Reviews for the PTC<br />
● Page 6<br />
Scholastic Products <strong>to</strong><br />
Feature the PTC Seal of<br />
Approval<br />
● Page 7<br />
PTC in the News<br />
● Page 8<br />
LA Hosts Second Annual<br />
PTC Grassroots<br />
Convention<br />
Because Our Children<br />
Are Watching<br />
R<br />
THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE PARENTS TELEVISION COUNCIL<br />
R
Continued from page 1<br />
<strong>to</strong> subsidize shows and networks we find morally reprehensible is pure ex<strong>to</strong>rtion.<br />
Families should be given the opportunity <strong>to</strong> pick and pay for what they actually<br />
want. The technology exists. And on <strong>to</strong>p if it all, we’ll get <strong>to</strong> pay less!<br />
The PTC is committed <strong>to</strong> keeping the Cable Choice initiative front<br />
and center before Congress and the FCC in the coming weeks and months.<br />
The days of the cable industry forcing their ideas down the throats of<br />
consumers are coming <strong>to</strong> an end.<br />
Until Next Time,<br />
L. Brent Bozell III<br />
PTC Founder and President<br />
Brent Bozell Testifies Upon Your Behalf<br />
PTC Founder and President Brent Bozell testified<br />
before the United States Senate Commerce<br />
Committee on January 19, 2006. In his testimony<br />
Bozell demanded the Senate pass legislation<br />
increasing indecency fines on broadcasters who<br />
violate the law. The U.S. House of Representatives<br />
has already passed such legislation. Bozell<br />
also laid out the argument for Cable Choice, telling<br />
Sena<strong>to</strong>rs, “Consumers should be free <strong>to</strong> pick and<br />
choose – and pay for – only those cable networks<br />
they want. This ensures that indecent cable<br />
programming is indeed an ‘invited guest’ in<strong>to</strong> the<br />
home. Some call it ‘Cable à la Carte,’ others call<br />
it ‘Cable Choice.’ We don’t suggest that the cable<br />
industry be prohibited from selling programming<br />
in bundled <strong>tiers</strong>; we do suggest that they must<br />
offer unbundled programming as one choice for<br />
their subscribers.”<br />
For a full transcript of Bozell’s testimony, go <strong>to</strong><br />
www.<strong>Parents</strong>TV.org<br />
R<br />
TAKE<br />
ACTION!<br />
Contact Your Congressmen<br />
and Tell Them<br />
YOU WANT TO<br />
DECIDE<br />
What Cable Channels Your<br />
Family Subscribes To<br />
Cable conglomerates don’t know<br />
what is best for your <strong>family</strong>. You<br />
do. Write <strong>to</strong> your elected representatives<br />
and tell them you demand the<br />
right <strong>to</strong> decide what cable channels<br />
should come in<strong>to</strong> your home. Tell<br />
them you want Cable Choice.<br />
To contact your elected<br />
representatives in the United States<br />
Congress, you can log on<strong>to</strong><br />
www.<strong>Parents</strong>TV.org and go <strong>to</strong> the<br />
Take Action link. Or you can call<br />
them directly by using the Capi<strong>to</strong>l<br />
Switchboard at (202) 224-<br />
3121.<br />
2 WWW.PARENTSTV.ORG PTC INSIDER<br />
BECAUSE OUR CHILDREN ARE WATCHING TM
Hollywood’s Contempt for<br />
Religion Reaches New Lows<br />
Hollywood continues <strong>to</strong><br />
demonstrate how out of step it is with<br />
mainstream America. The month of<br />
December featured three distinctly<br />
disturbing instances of profanity.<br />
And the New Year has started off with<br />
the premiere of NBC’s Book of<br />
Daniel, featuring an “anything goes”<br />
Jesus interacting with a vicodinpopping<br />
Episcopalian priest.<br />
Hollywood’s opening salvo in this<br />
latest battle <strong>to</strong> degrade faith came on<br />
Dec. 6 when an episode of ABC’s<br />
Bos<strong>to</strong>n Legal featured a s<strong>to</strong>ryline<br />
centered on a Roman Catholic priest<br />
selling counterfeit papal blessings and<br />
concealing the whereabouts of a<br />
pedophile. The next day, on Comedy<br />
Central’s South Park, a character<br />
claimed he had been sprayed by<br />
blood from the vagina of a Virgin<br />
Mary statue. The episode was so<br />
outrageous that the Catholic League<br />
wrote a letter <strong>to</strong> a Viacom board<br />
member (Viacom owns Comedy<br />
Central) demanding the show not be rerun. Viacom board<br />
member Joseph Califano, who is a practicing Catholic, prevailed<br />
on the management of Comedy Central and the show was pulled.<br />
However that wasn’t the end of the profanity. Several times in<br />
December Comedy Central also aired the Denis Leary special<br />
Merry F#%$in’ Christmas in which the depraved comic said,<br />
“Listen, Christmas is built on a line of bulls—. Do I believe<br />
there was a baby Jesus? You bet your ass I do. But I believe that<br />
nine months before he was born someone sure as s— banged<br />
the hell out of his mom.”<br />
Then comes The Book of Daniel on NBC, which premiered<br />
<strong>to</strong> lukewarm reviews and even cooler ad revenue. Six NBC<br />
affiliates refused <strong>to</strong> air the program based solely on the premise<br />
of the show, which they felt did not reflect their community<br />
values. This new series centers on Daniel, an Episcopalian priest<br />
South Park’s outrageous episode drew<br />
fire from the Catholic League<br />
Advertisers aren’t flocking <strong>to</strong> Daniel’s<br />
desperate s<strong>to</strong>ryline.<br />
and his very messed-up <strong>family</strong>. His<br />
wife is an alcoholic. His son is gay.<br />
His daughter sells marijuana. His<br />
adopted Chinese son is a teenage sex<br />
machine. His female bishop, who<br />
asks him for one of his “Canadian<br />
headache pills” for the codeine, and<br />
later raids his office for more, is<br />
having an adulterous relationship with<br />
his father, who’s also an Episcopal<br />
bishop, whose wife has Alzheimer’s<br />
and keeps talking about penises. And<br />
the ridiculous parade of plastic<br />
characters doesn’t end there.<br />
TV critic Tom Shales offered this<br />
description in the review he wrote<br />
for the Washing<strong>to</strong>n Post:<br />
I cannot recall a series in which<br />
a greater number of characters seemed<br />
so desperately detestable – a series with<br />
a larger population of loathsome dolts.<br />
There ought <strong>to</strong> be a worse punishment<br />
than cancellation for a show that tries<br />
this hard <strong>to</strong> be offensive and, even at<br />
that crass task, manages <strong>to</strong> <strong>fail</strong>.<br />
It’s a sad descent for NBC on Fridays. They cancelled Three<br />
Wishes, the uplifting show that premiered this fall, with gospel<br />
singer Amy Grant going <strong>to</strong> small <strong>to</strong>wns and working little<br />
miracles, after weak promotion and critical sniffs at its goodygoody<br />
nature. That show was doing positive things in the real<br />
world, not tearing down religion in a desperate attempt <strong>to</strong> grab<br />
eyeballs. Whether Daniel stays on the schedule remains <strong>to</strong> be<br />
seen. But it is obvious that Hollywood’s treatment of religious<br />
issues and icons – Christian issues and icons – is decidedly<br />
contemptuous. The difference here, as “entertainment” emanates<br />
from the dens of “spirituality” in hot-tub Hollywood, is that no<br />
one will be making that wacky dramedy about the Buddhists or<br />
the Muslims any time soon. Only that sickening apple-pie thing<br />
called Christianity gets singled out as a comedic PR stunt.<br />
*At press time NBC cancelled Book of Daniel. More details in<br />
the next Insider.*<br />
PTC INSIDER WWW.PARENTSTV.ORG 3<br />
BECAUSE OUR CHILDREN ARE WATCHING TM
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PTC analysts are always on the look out for especially<br />
egregious material that airs at times when children are<br />
likely <strong>to</strong> be in the viewing audience. Recently the<br />
following content was aired during prime time on cable<br />
and broadcast television. This monthly column provides<br />
information about the declining state of decency on<br />
television <strong>to</strong>day.<br />
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WARNING: Graphic content described!<br />
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Calicified Dead Baby Featured on Nip/Tuck<br />
Your Cable Dollars Supported It<br />
In what may be one of the most tasteless episodes of the highly<br />
offensive basic cable series Nip/Tuck (FX - Wednesday, 10:00),<br />
a woman, whose job is <strong>to</strong> play Mrs. Claus during the Christmas<br />
season, goes in for liposuction. During the graphic procedure<br />
the surgeon hits something in her abdomen. The next scene<br />
shows the surgeon<br />
cutting open the woman’s<br />
mid-section and the<br />
camera reveals a dead<br />
baby’s head in the bloody<br />
body cavity. This scene<br />
is horrifically played out<br />
<strong>to</strong> the accompaniment of<br />
The Hallelujah Chorus<br />
from Handel’s Messiah. In the next scene the woman, who has<br />
been <strong>to</strong>ld there was a calcified fetus in her womb asks <strong>to</strong> see<br />
her baby. The doc<strong>to</strong>r is shown presenting her with a bundle<br />
wrapped in a blanket. When the blanket is unwrapped the<br />
viewer sees the dead baby’s body floating in a jar formaldehyde.<br />
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Lessons in How Not <strong>to</strong> Parent<br />
The War At Home (Fox - Sunday, 8:30) continues <strong>to</strong> plumb the<br />
depths of irresponsibility for a few laughs. In the Dec. 11<br />
episode parents Dave and Vicky are convinced their son, Larry,<br />
is gay because he would rather do school plays than play<br />
basketball. Dave tries <strong>to</strong> bribe his son <strong>to</strong> quit the school play<br />
and tells him, “If you quit the play I’ll take you <strong>to</strong> a strip club.”<br />
When Larry tells his<br />
dad that he performs in<br />
the play so people at<br />
school will know who<br />
he is, Dave suggests he<br />
become known for<br />
robbing a liquor s<strong>to</strong>re<br />
or impregnating a girl<br />
instead.<br />
Cannibalism Featured on Criminal Minds<br />
In the s<strong>to</strong>mach-turning Dec. 14th episode of Criminal Minds<br />
(CBS - Wednesday, 9:00) investiga<strong>to</strong>rs try <strong>to</strong> find a killer who is<br />
also a cannibal. During their investigation they open the door<br />
of the killer’s refrigera<strong>to</strong>r<br />
revealing Tupperware<br />
containers full of human<br />
organs. A flashback<br />
scene shows a man<br />
kneeling and reverently<br />
drinking blood out of a<br />
large container, with<br />
blood dripping down his<br />
chin. The murderer is caught driving in a car filled with containers<br />
of human organs and his face is covered in blood.<br />
The Gift of Virginity<br />
Gay teens and virginity were played<br />
for laughs recently on Fox’s<br />
Malcolm in the Middle (Friday,<br />
8:30). Teenager Reese exposes<br />
himself <strong>to</strong> a teenaged girl he believes<br />
is attracted <strong>to</strong> him. While<br />
frontal nudity is not seen, the<br />
camera shows Reese from the<br />
back, as he stands in a garage<br />
and tells Abby that he saved<br />
his virginity for her. Abby<br />
mentions that Reese has a bow<br />
wrapped around his erect penis. When Abby tells Reese she is<br />
gay the bow falls off.<br />
Sexualized Game Targets Teens on MTV<br />
Your Cable Dollars Supported It<br />
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Even the contestants on MTV’s Gauntlet II (Monday, 10:00;<br />
reruns as early as 9:00 a.m.) thought the “Sponge Worthy” game<br />
was perverted. The game has two teams transporting water<br />
from the ocean <strong>to</strong> a bucket without using their hands.<br />
Contestants strap sponges <strong>to</strong> themselves and then rub up against<br />
each other <strong>to</strong> squeeze the water from the sponges. Repeatedly<br />
the guys are shown transferring water <strong>to</strong> female teammates’<br />
sponges in movements that mimic rear-entry intercourse. One<br />
female contestant says, “This whole thing is very perverted.<br />
Faces being smashed in<strong>to</strong> my butt, bathing suits pulling and<br />
pushing and thrusting. Sorry about this, Mom!” A male<br />
contestant jokes that he and a female teammate may have<br />
conceived a child.<br />
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4 WWW.PARENTSTV.ORG PTC INSIDER<br />
BECAUSE OUR CHILDREN ARE WATCHING TM<br />
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Film Critic MICHAEL MEDVED<br />
Provides Movie Reviews for the<br />
<strong>Parents</strong> <strong>Television</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />
Nip/Tuck<br />
Loses Advertisers<br />
The PTC’s advertiser accountability<br />
initiative is one of the most unique aspects<br />
of the PTC mission. Through the determined<br />
effort of our members who take the time<br />
<strong>to</strong> write <strong>to</strong> advertisers featured in Insider<br />
Take Action campaigns, the PTC’s message<br />
of responsible sponsorship in advertising<br />
is being heard in board rooms around the<br />
country. In 2005 the PTC aggressively<br />
sought <strong>to</strong> make an impact on the ultraoffensive<br />
FX show Nip/Tuck. Thousands of<br />
PTC members bombarded the corporate<br />
sponsors of that filthy program demanding<br />
<strong>to</strong> know if the show’s obsession with sex,<br />
violence and foul language reflected the<br />
companies’ corporate values. We’re glad<br />
<strong>to</strong> report that your voices were heard and<br />
were effective!<br />
ACTIVISM WORKS!<br />
Several companies that once sponsored<br />
Nip/Tuck are no longer helping <strong>to</strong> subsidize<br />
the obscene content. Many of these were<br />
targets of PTC Take Action initiatives in<br />
2005.<br />
Chattem<br />
E-loan<br />
Geico<br />
General Mo<strong>to</strong>rs<br />
IKEA<br />
Toyota<br />
AOL<br />
Circuit City<br />
Netscape<br />
The PTC seeks <strong>to</strong> provide<br />
members with reliable, high-quality<br />
resources. To that end the PTC has<br />
secured an agreement with nationally<br />
syndicated radio talk show host, author,<br />
PTC Advisory Board member, and<br />
renowned film critic, Michael Medved,<br />
<strong>to</strong> provide film reviews for the PTC<br />
website www.<strong>Parents</strong>TV.org.<br />
Medved is a film critic families<br />
can trust. He worked as a screenwriter in Hollywood, and cohosted<br />
PBS’s Sneak Previews for 12 years. In addition, he has served<br />
as chief film critic for both CNN and the New York Post. Medved is<br />
a best selling author. He has authored ten books, with his most<br />
recent release Right Turns slated for paperback release in late January,<br />
2006. As a nationally syndicated radio talk show host, Mr. Medved<br />
offers a daily three hour radio show focused on politics and popculture.<br />
He is heard by two million people on 190 stations across<br />
the country. His columns on media and society appear regularly in<br />
USA Today where he is a senior member of the Board of Contribu<strong>to</strong>rs.<br />
The PTC is excited <strong>to</strong> enter in<strong>to</strong> this partnership with Mr.<br />
Medved. We believe that our members will benefit from his expertise<br />
and <strong>family</strong>-centric worldview.<br />
Log on <strong>to</strong> www.<strong>Parents</strong>TV.org and enjoy this tremendous<br />
resource!<br />
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★<br />
<strong>Parents</strong> <strong>Television</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />
ADVISORY BOARD<br />
Steve Allen<br />
Honorary Chairman Emeritus<br />
Phil Barron<br />
Michelle Barron<br />
Dr. William Bennett<br />
William Blinn<br />
Pat Boone<br />
Wendy Borcherdt<br />
Sen. Sam Brownback<br />
John Carvelli<br />
Tim Conway<br />
Billy Ray Cyrus<br />
Susan Howard<br />
Dave Johnson<br />
Gary Johnson<br />
Dean Jones<br />
Naomi Judd<br />
Sen. Blanche Lambert Lincoln<br />
Coleman Luck<br />
Holly McClure<br />
Michael Medved<br />
Jim Ot<strong>to</strong><br />
Father Val J. Peter<br />
Mel Renfro<br />
Cheryl Rhoads<br />
Connie Sellecca<br />
Dr. Robert Shaw<br />
Mary Streep<br />
Ken Wales<br />
Susan Wales<br />
PTC INSIDER WWW.PARENTSTV.ORG 5<br />
BECAUSE OUR CHILDREN ARE WATCHING TM
PTC SEAL OF APPROVAL<br />
Scholastic Products <strong>to</strong> Feature the<br />
PTC Seal of Approval<br />
TM<br />
<strong>Parents</strong> around the country know the Scholastic brand is one they can count on for quality,<br />
educational entertainment products. Now they will also see the PTC Seal of Approval on the<br />
Scholastic products that meet the PTC’s high standards for wholesomeness. In an agreement<br />
with Scholastic, the PTC Seal of Approval will be included on the jacket covers of all Scholastic<br />
video products that are awarded the Seal of Approval.<br />
This month we are pleased <strong>to</strong> tell you about three Scholastic DVD Collections that have earned<br />
the coveted PTC Seal of Approval and one A&E movie selection.<br />
Bear Snores On is a Scholastic collection of animated s<strong>to</strong>ries that take the viewer on<br />
an exciting adventure through the seasons. The wonderfully crafted and well-animated s<strong>to</strong>ries<br />
are recommended for children ages three <strong>to</strong> nine. The DVD collection has interactive features<br />
that allow children <strong>to</strong> either listen <strong>to</strong> the s<strong>to</strong>ry or read along. All of this happens while the<br />
viewer is treated <strong>to</strong> the beauty and complexity of nature as it moves through the seasons.<br />
✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤<br />
Danny and the Dinosaur is a classic children’s s<strong>to</strong>ry brought <strong>to</strong> life in this<br />
DVD collection from Scholastic that includes “other friendly monster s<strong>to</strong>ries.” This <strong>family</strong>oriented<br />
collection will delight the young members of the <strong>family</strong> who may find monsters not<br />
quite so scary by the time the DVD is done.<br />
✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤<br />
Martin’s Big Words is a collection of s<strong>to</strong>ries honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and<br />
other prominent African Americans including John Henry, Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Elling<strong>to</strong>n.<br />
The Scholastic collection also includes a s<strong>to</strong>ry about the traditions associated with Kwanzaa.<br />
This beautifully rendered animated DVD set is perfect for children of any age and is a great<br />
educational resource for those with a budding interest in American his<strong>to</strong>ry.<br />
✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤<br />
The Mayor of Casterbridge is the DVD edition of the A&E adaptation of<br />
Thomas Hardy’s 1886 masterpiece. The s<strong>to</strong>ry centers on the struggle for redemption of a<br />
man who, in a drunken rage, sold his wife and daughter <strong>to</strong> a sailor. This beautifully crafted<br />
movie adaptation is appropriate for children 13 years of age and older as it contains more<br />
mature themes and subject matter.<br />
“When marketing a <strong>family</strong> film, it is always helpful <strong>to</strong> have the<br />
support of an organization such as the <strong>Parents</strong> <strong>Television</strong> <strong>Council</strong>.”<br />
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER<br />
6 WWW.PARENTSTV.ORG PTC INSIDER<br />
BECAUSE OUR CHILDREN ARE WATCHING TM
Media outlets around the country started 2006 by calling on<br />
the PTC <strong>to</strong> seek our expertise and comments on issues ranging<br />
from the FCC, <strong>to</strong> indecency, <strong>to</strong> violent video games. Every<br />
time a PTC spokesperson is quoted in a newspaper or appears<br />
on a TV or radio program, we’re reaching tens of thousands -<br />
even millions - of potential supporters with the message that<br />
we are here <strong>to</strong> help families take back the airwaves and s<strong>to</strong>p<br />
Hollywood’s corrupting influence. These s<strong>to</strong>ries are worth<br />
millions of dollars <strong>to</strong> the PTC in “earned media,” which means<br />
that every dollar you donate <strong>to</strong> the PTC gets that much extra<br />
mileage.<br />
With the Cable Choice initiative front and center in the public<br />
arena, here is a sampling of recent press clippings dealing with<br />
the issue.<br />
DENVER POST December 15, 2005<br />
“Imagine being able <strong>to</strong> select and pay for only the cable channels<br />
you want, like choosing dishes in a buffet line...We think Americans<br />
would welcome the flexibility and choice, and perhaps lower bills,<br />
that could come with à la carte pricing.”<br />
SAINT PAUL PIONEER PRESS – DECEMBER 7, 2005<br />
“...the cable TV industry...clings <strong>to</strong> its outmoded business plan,<br />
requiring that we buy channels in bundles...it would likely take an<br />
act of Congress, which probably won’t do anything without a lot of<br />
pressure from voters. So if you’re sick of paying for channels you<br />
don’t want, tell your congressman.”<br />
Brent Bozell’s testimony before the<br />
Senate Commerce Committee was<br />
carried live on C-Span.<br />
Wins<strong>to</strong>n-Salem Journal<br />
December 21, 2005<br />
“...Cable companies should offer<br />
cus<strong>to</strong>mers a choice of channels they want.<br />
If they don’t Congress should change the<br />
law <strong>to</strong> require it.”<br />
The News Sentinel<br />
FORT WAYNE, INDIANA • DECEMBER 15, 2005<br />
“...Comcast...has joined several other U.S.<br />
cable companies in agreeing <strong>to</strong> offer<br />
‘<strong>family</strong>-friendly’ channel packages next<br />
year...This falls short of what would<br />
benefit consumers most – freedom <strong>to</strong><br />
purchase only the channels they want <strong>to</strong><br />
watch.”<br />
HOUSTON CHRONICLE<br />
DECEMBER 23, 2005<br />
“You get what you pay for, the saying goes. Unless you’re<br />
talking about cable television, in which case you pay for<br />
what you get...You can’t buy the channels you want without<br />
getting some that you don’t. That may be about <strong>to</strong><br />
change...Charles Dolan, the chairman of Cablevision, has<br />
thrown his support behind à la carte pricing. ‘We don’t believe<br />
in the long term that selling programming à la carte will be<br />
detrimental <strong>to</strong> either programmers or cable opera<strong>to</strong>rs,’ Dolan<br />
said in a prepared statement. ‘Our experience indicates à la<br />
carte will result in a more affordable service for all with more<br />
programming options.’”<br />
PORTLAND OREGONIAN<br />
DECEMBER 23, 2005<br />
“It is entirely appropriate <strong>to</strong> jawbone cable<br />
companies, who operate under governmentregulated<br />
monopolies, in<strong>to</strong> giving concerned<br />
cus<strong>to</strong>mers something they’ve long clamored for.”<br />
The Charlotte Observer<br />
December 14, 2005<br />
“The argument that à la carte will kill some<br />
networks falls flat in a free-market society.”<br />
PTC INSIDER WWW.PARENTSTV.ORG 7<br />
BECAUSE OUR CHILDREN ARE WATCHING TM
GRASSROOTS SPOTLIGHT<br />
R<br />
L. Brent Bozell III<br />
Founder and President<br />
Tim Winter<br />
Executive Direc<strong>to</strong>r<br />
Mark Barnes<br />
Senior Consultant<br />
Melissa Caldwell<br />
Senior Direc<strong>to</strong>r of Programs<br />
Kristen Fyfe<br />
Senior Writer/Edi<strong>to</strong>r<br />
Kristine Looney<br />
Research Assistant<br />
PTC Chapter Direc<strong>to</strong>rs gathered at 1st Annual Grassroots Convention in 2005.<br />
Second Annual PTC Grassroots Convention Meets<br />
February 17-20 in Los Angeles<br />
The PTC’s Second Annual Grassroots<br />
Convention meets in Los Angeles, CA this<br />
month, providing grassroots members the<br />
chance <strong>to</strong> meet each other and share<br />
strategies <strong>to</strong> promote the PTC’s mission in<br />
their home<strong>to</strong>wns.<br />
Attendees at this year’s convention<br />
will hear from members of the national<br />
PTC staff, including PTC Founder and<br />
President Brent Bozell, who will report<br />
on the state of entertainment and what<br />
the PTC chapters can and will do about<br />
it in the coming year. Members will also<br />
learn about resources that are available<br />
<strong>to</strong> local chapters, current and upcoming<br />
national campaigns, PTC accomplish-<br />
ments and the best strategies <strong>to</strong> duplicate<br />
them locally.<br />
Since our grassroots members often<br />
serve as spokespeople in their local areas,<br />
all attendees will also undergo extensive<br />
media training from our professional<br />
public relations staff.<br />
Welcome Aboard<br />
Rhode Island!<br />
In Oc<strong>to</strong>ber the Rhode Island Chapter<br />
was launched, making it the twenty-third<br />
state <strong>to</strong> join the national chapter network.<br />
Community leader Marcia Weeden is the<br />
chapter direc<strong>to</strong>r. We welcome this new<br />
branch on the PTC <strong>family</strong> tree!<br />
LOOKING FOR SPECIAL GIFTS?<br />
Shop the PTC S<strong>to</strong>re<br />
Log on <strong>to</strong> www.parentstv.org/s<strong>to</strong>re<br />
The PTC S<strong>to</strong>re is your source for great gifts!<br />
New products, like Pat Boone’s inspirational<br />
CDs, are always being added <strong>to</strong> the website.<br />
You’ll find Seal of Approval winning DVDs,<br />
books and personalized items from<br />
Personal Creations. Whether you are<br />
looking for the perfect gift idea, or just<br />
looking for something for yourself, the<br />
PTC s<strong>to</strong>re is your one-s<strong>to</strong>p shop for<br />
wholesome gifts.<br />
And remember a portion of your<br />
purchase price goes <strong>to</strong> support the<br />
PTC mission.<br />
Casey Williams<br />
Content Manager<br />
Aubree Bowling<br />
Senior Entertainment Analyst<br />
Caroline Schulenburg,<br />
Chris<strong>to</strong>pher Gildemeister,<br />
Josh Shirlen, Kirsten Mills,<br />
Bill Petruzzo<br />
Entertainment Analysts<br />
Dan Isett<br />
Direc<strong>to</strong>r of Corporate & Govt. Affairs<br />
Christiana Hills<br />
Direc<strong>to</strong>r of Marketing &<br />
Grassroots<br />
Communications<br />
Gavin McKiernan<br />
National Grassroots Direc<strong>to</strong>r<br />
Kimberly Sielen<br />
Marketing and<br />
Grassroots Assistant<br />
Paul Cook<br />
Direc<strong>to</strong>r of Finance & Admin.<br />
Julie Feuerbacher<br />
Direc<strong>to</strong>r of Development<br />
Robert Shear<br />
Resource Development Manager<br />
Marty Waddell<br />
Eastern Regional<br />
Development Representative<br />
Dan Bodwell<br />
Western Regional<br />
Development Representative<br />
Michele Pres<strong>to</strong>n<br />
Development Assistant<br />
Jane Dean<br />
Office & Graphics Admin.<br />
Ayla Montgomery,<br />
Jennifer Chidi, Divina Chavez,<br />
Steve Patterson and<br />
Samantha Turchin<br />
Interns<br />
PTC’S HOLLYWOOD HEADQUARTERS<br />
707 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 2075<br />
Los Angeles, CA 90017<br />
(213) 629-9255<br />
The PTC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit<br />
research and education foundation.<br />
© Copyright 2005<br />
<strong>Parents</strong> <strong>Television</strong> <strong>Council</strong>
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