Because Our Children Are Watching® Volume 5 • Number 2
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November 2009
Are You Paying Too Much for Cable? What would happen if you went to a newsstand to buy Time magazine and were told you also had to purchase People or GQ to get it? You’d laugh and take your business elsewhere, wouldn’t you?
Everyday a similar scenario is playing out all across this country, only instead of the owner of the local newsstand; it is cable companies that are forcing American consumers to pay for channels they don’t want in order to get access to channels they do want. Problem is you can’t take your cable business elsewhere. You have to either take the “bundled” channels, or do without. Many parents are forced to look to cable for wholesome, family-friendly programming they can’t find on the broadcast networks, but to access networks like The Hallmark Channel or Disney, they are also forced to pay for channels like MTV and FX that they don’t want and that actually make their job as a parent and TV cop much more difficult. So why is it that we cannot pick and choose – and pay for – only the cable networks we want in our homes? If you’re not a sports enthusiast, why are you paying for six or more sports channels? Not interested in home decorating, or home shopping – then why pay for stations that are focused on it? Because the cable network programmers have a chokehold on the public. A handful of powerful media conglomerates hold all the cards and spend a lot of money lobbying to keep it that way so the consumer has no choice but to take it. Millions of Americans are
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Our Culture: A Snapshot Tips for Parents
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having trouble making ends meet yet cable bills are going up at rates that far exceed the rate of inflation. In the secondhalf of 2008, cable bills went up an average of 7.5%. During the same period, the cost of living increased by less than 4%. These media companies make billions of dollars every year by forcing you to pay them for channels you don’t watch, don’t want, and may actually find offensive. And unlike the newsstand analogy, the A handful of powerful programmers force their bundle onto every media conglomerates hold all the cards and distributor, whether it is a cable system or a spend a lot of money satellite operator. There lobbying to keep it is no alternative. You deserve a choice. that way so the You shouldn’t be forced consumer has no to subsidize cable chanchoice but to take it. nels that you don’t want and that offend your values. That’s un-American. Offering parents the ability to choose the channels they want, and to pay only for those channels, puts power back in the hands of the consumer — of parents — and forces the producers of indecent or violent programming to fund their own raunch. You can learn more about cable choice and calculate what your cable bill would be if you had the ability to opt out of the channels you don’t want at www.HowCableShouldBe.com.
Fall Season: Not for Families
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Family Viewing Guide
Tips for Parents
Be a critical viewer: Set a good example: Limit your use of media and be a discriminating viewer. Parents affect children’s media use by setting an example, by exposing children to television, by watching with their children (or not doing so), and by encouraging or regulating their children’s viewing. Young children are often present and exposed to the programming watched by their parents. Viewing choices are typically guided by the parents’ tastes, not those of the children. Parents own viewing habits and preferences are a powerful source of modeling and early exposure to television for young children. The amount and kind of television that children “see” depends considerably on the amount and kind of viewing parents do. For young children, exposure to adult programs occurs with parents more than without them. Siblings also influence program choices. Children with older siblings move away from educational programs and towards cartoons and situation comedies at an earlier age than those without older siblings. Parents or older siblings who co-view television with children can make the experience worthwhile. Adults who watch with children and offer comments and interpretations of content improve the amount that children learn from educational programs. Adult explanation also improves children’s understanding of plots, characters, and events in dramatic programs. Television can provide an occasion for parents to discuss values, beliefs, and moral issues.
Need some practical advice on how to set limitations on children’s access to television, how to talk with your children about what they view, and how to set a good example for your children with your own viewing habits? Here are some helpful tips and advice from some of the nation’s leading authorities on how children are affected by the media they consume. Don’t use TV, videos, video games, computer games and music as baby sitters. Limit the use of media to no more than two quality hours a day. Keep TV, video players and computers out of children’s bedrooms, and turn off the TV during mealtime. All screens should be visible to parents, not just the user. Only watch TV when there is something specifically worth watching. Don’t make the TV the focal point of the house. Watch TV with your children and teach them about advertising and the influence media has. Be careful about what your child watches just before bedtime. Or avoid it all together. Later TV viewing may seem relaxing but it is quite the opposite, over stimulating children and causing sleep problems http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/104/3/e27 Learn about new movies and videos and set guidelines for your F o r m o r e p r a c t i c a l t i p s o n s a f e m e d i a u s e, g o t o www.parentstv.org/PTC/parentsguide/tips.html child about what is appropriate.
Our Culture: A Snapshot
September- October 2009
Top Cable TV Series: Week ending October 4, 2009* Suite Life on Deck Disney 6,808.000 Spongebob Squarepants Nickelodeon 4,817,000 iCarly Nickelodeon 4,388,000 Penguins of Madagascar Nickelodeon 3,720,000 Hannah Montana Disney 4,137,000 Sons of Anarchy FX 3,763,000 Army Wives Lifetime 3,331,000 * news, sports, and sports entertainment not included
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Top Broadcast TV Shows: Season to Date* NCIS CBS Dancing with the Stars ABC NCIS Los Angeles CBS Grey’s Anatomy ABC CSI CBS The Mentalist CBS House Fox Criminal Minds CBS CSI: Miami CBS The Good Wife ABC
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20,991,000 17,415,000 18,068,000 16,599,000 15,989,000 15,419,000 16,421,000 15,046,000 14,090,000 13,779,000 Family Views
Fall Season Leaves Families in the Lurch... Again T
he quiet demise of the CW’s Everybody Hates Chris, a humorous, often warm, coming of age comedy marks the end of an era. The CW, built in part on the dismantled remains of a network that was once characterized by clean, upbeat and inoffensive shows intended for family viewing, is now entirely given over to hyper-sexed, teen targeted dramas like One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, 90210 and the new Melrose Place and supernatural thrillers like Supernatural and Vampire Diaries. Jay Leno’s experimental foray into primetime will unquestionably leave its mark on primetime. That 10:00 timeslot was traditionally home to adult-targeted dramas, too racy to air earlier in the evening when children were still awake and watching television. Those series, on NBC at least, now have nowhere to go except to earlier timeslots. So the police drama Southland, which debuted last spring in the 10:00 timeslot and contained graphic violence as well as scripted, bleeped-expletives, will now be airing at 9:00. NBC’s schedule shake-up has the potential to impact other networks, as well. As NBC moves its adult dramas up to earlier timeslots, other networks, inevitably will follow-suit. Fox features three (relatively) new offerings from past offenders. And although Lie to Me (from Shawn Ryan, creator of the violent and profane FX series The Shield) is unlikely to appeal to children, Glee (from the creator of the ultra-offensive FX series Nip/Tuck) and The Cleveland Show (from Seth McFarlane, creator of Family Guy and American Dad) both possess qualities likely to make them attractive to children. Glee is clearly intended to tap into the cultural zeitgeist of the Disney’s High School Musical phenomenon. Set in high school, a motley group of students representing all of the typical high school stereotypes are brought together through their mutual love of music. This innocent-sounding premise is enough to entice unsuspecting youngsters and to get the nod from
unwitting parents, but episodes have already touched on a faked-pregnancy, teen abstinence clubs held up for ridicule, and thinly veiled references to fellatio. Similarly, The Cleveland Show, a spin-off of Fox’s ultraraunchy Family Guy, will likely lure children with its animated format. Although the network promises it will be sweeter than Family Guy, one has to doubt whether MacFarlane — the man who jokes about handicapped children being trampled by a horse — is capable of producing anything “sweet.” Offerings on the other networks are no better — between a show about a woman who gets pregnant “Accidentally on Purpose” after a one-night-stand, a series about a divorcee on the prowl for younger men, and a drama based loosely on the Elliott Spitzer scandal — the broadcast networks are once again leaving family audiences with no place to turn. For more information about these and other new and returning shows, visit the PTC’s Family Guide at www.ParentsTV.org.
Family Views and other PTC parent education materials are provided as a service to you and your family free of charge. Help us reach more families by making a donation at www.parentstv.org/donate or call the Development Department at 1 (800) 882-6868 Family Views
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Family Viewing Guide
Under the Sea
These entertainment products have been screened by the Parents Television Council and awarded the PTC’s Seal of Approval™ — signaling that they are safe for you and your family to enjoy. Earth
G-Force
Aliens in the Attic A Letter to Dad
Ponyo
Tulipchan “Let’s Be Friends”
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Bandslam
You c a n m a ke a d i f f e re n c e ! We want you to be involved in the PTC! Our Grassroots Activists are the heart, soul and most importantly the voice of the PTC. Everyday there are grassroots members working to: Implement national campaigns on a local level, visibly changing their communities for the better! Increase awareness of the impact of sex, violence and profanity.
Interface with local television affiliates and advertisers Provide a source for information on the latest news and research for their local community. Give speeches in the community about PTC issues and campaigns.
You Can Join the Parents Television Council The Parents Television Council is the nation’s most influential advocacy organization protecting children against sex, violence and profanity in entertainment. With 50 chapters in 31 states, there may be a chapter near you. For more information about joining a PTC chapter, just fill out this coupon and mail it to: Parents Television Council Attn: Gavin McKiernan 707 Wilshire Blvd., #2075 Los Angeles, CA 90017
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