Protecting Children from Watching Inappropriate TV Programs

If you want more control over what your children watch on television, you now have a range of tools to assist you. Parents may want to restrict their children from watching programs that could contain sex, violence, adult or suggestive language, yet you may be unaware of how to do this short of turning off the TV. Some of the options parents have are using v-chips and lock boxes to block programming, requesting that their cable providers block channels they are not subscribing to, and using television parental guidelines to alert parents of programming content.

V-chip technology and lockboxes are two devices parents can use to block channels or programs.

What is V-chip technology?

Most programming includes ratings that indicate the extent to which content contains violence, inappropriate language, or matters a viewer may find offensive. V-chip technology is the circuitry in a television that is capable of identifying these ratings and blocking the programming that an individual finds inappropriate.

Half of all new television models 13 inches or larger manufactured between July 1, 1999 and January 1, 2000, and all such sets manufactured after January 1, 2000 must have v-chip technology. The rating system used in conjunction with this technology includes:

• TV-Y (All Children -- This program is designed to be appropriate for all children.) Whether animated or live-action, the themes and elements in this program are specifically designed for a very young audience, including children from ages 2-6. This program is not expected to frighten younger children.
• TV-Y7 (Directed to Older Children -- This program is designed for children age 7 and above.) It may be more appropriate for children who have acquired the developmental skills needed to distinguish between make-believe and reality. Themes and elements in this program may include mild fantasy or comedic violence, or may frighten children under the age of 7. Therefore, parents may wish to consider the suitability of this program for their very young children. Note: For those programs where fantasy violence may be more intense or more combative than other programs in this category, such programs will be designated TV-Y7-FV. For programs designed for the entire audience, the general categories are:
• TV-G (General Audience -- Most parents would find this program suitable for all ages.) Although this rating does not signify a program designed specifically for children, most parents may let younger children watch this program unattended. It contains little or no violence, no strong language and little or no sexual dialogue or situations.
• TV-PG (Parental Guidance Suggested -- This program contains material that parents may find unsuitable for younger children.) Many parents may want to watch it with their younger children. The theme itself may call for parental guidance and/or the program contains one or more of the following: moderate violence (V), some sexual situations (S), infrequent coarse language (L), or some suggestive dialogue (D).
• TV-14 (Parents Strongly Cautioned -- This program contains some material that many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age.) Parents are strongly urged to exercise greater care in monitoring this program and are cautioned against letting children under the age of 14 watch unattended. This program contains one or more of the following: intense violence (V), intense sexual situations (S), strong coarse language (L), or intensely suggestive dialogue (D).
• TV-MA (Mature Audience Only -- This program is specifically designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children under 17.) This program contains one or more of the following: graphic violence (V), explicit sexual activity (S), or crude indecent language (L).

What is a lockbox?

A lockbox is similar to v-chip technology in that it allows programming to be blocked from view. It is a device that subscribers may lease or purchase from their cable company or retail stores. Lockboxes are easily installed externally on the cable subscriber's television. Parents may then program the lockbox to block specific programming.

The cable television industry encrypts or scrambles the signal of channels that a subscriber has not purchased to prevent theft or unauthorized reception. However, some of these techniques may not fully block audio and video, resulting in what is referred to as "signal bleed." If signal bleed occurs, children, without the parents' knowledge, may view objectionable content or material.

To prevent this, Congress passed a law requiring cable companies to scramble or block both audio and video of any channel at the subscriber's request at no additional cost to the subscriber. This applies to any type of programming, but the programming must be on a channel that is not included in the programming package purchased by the subscriber. Parents can take advantage of this option by contacting their cable company and requesting the channel be blocked. Parents should be aware that the cable companies will not fully block channels unless the subscriber makes the request.

Parents also may determine which programs are appropriate for their children through television parental guidelines that rate programming as discussed above. A program's ratings are displayed on the television screen for the first 15 seconds of a program and also listed in program guides.

Source: www.fcc.gov