The Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) was established in 1934 as a government agency
who is responsible for regulating “interstate… and international communications
by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable in all of the 50 states, the
District of Columbia and U.S. possessions” (FCC.gov). Over the years, the FCC
has witnessed great advances in communication technologies, and has had to grow
and adapt to such changes. One of the more well known and highly visible
regulations that the FCC implements are television ratings, know as “TV
Parental Guidelines”. At the start of a television show, a small black box
appears in the upper left hand corner of the TV screen. The FCC has reviewed
the TV show and has determined what age group the show is suitable for as shown
by the box. The ratings appear during the first 15 seconds of a program and
sometimes after commercial breaks. Ratings do not appear for news programs,
sports, and movies on premium channels (FCC.gov). The guidelines are as
follows:
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| Image provided by TVGuidelines.org |
The TV Parental
Guidelines are a system that is intended to help parents determine what shows
are suitable for their children. As many of us have studied, the FCC has hoped
to create a sort of “safe harbor” during specific broadcasting hours as a way
of protecting young children from explicit or adult content on television. However, the growing rate of DVR penetration
has created a bit of a problem. According to David Poltrack in his presentation
“Outlook For the Broadcast Networks”, DVR penetration in households is growing
slowly, but growing none-the-less (Poltrack). This, combined with subscription
services such as Netflix, and the growing ability to watch TV programming not
only on a television but on a tablet, smartphone, or laptop as well, has caused
some difficulty in protecting children from adult content in television shows. In
fact, children between the ages of eight and eighteen are estimated to spend
seven and a half hours per day using electronic devices, including the Internet
and laptops (Steele 307).
With the wide
accessibility of any and all television shows, how can the FCC be sure that
younger viewers are not accessing content designed for an older audience?
“Combining the unprecedented availability of broadcast television programming
with the ease with which children can access the Internet and the family DVR,
the safe harbor rationale just does not make sense any longer. There are no
longer any hours where it is significantly less likely that children will have
access to the programs” (Steele 307). Some individuals may find it necessary
for the FCC to implement stronger regulations in
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| Who doesn't love Elmo? |
could help prevent children from accessing adult material.
However, such regulations could impose on the First Amendment rights of
Americans (Steele). While it is impossible for the FCC to monitor all methods
of media access that children are exposed to, tightening regulations for the
sake of minors prevents adults from information and programming that they are
rightfully allowed access. Unless we all are prepared to live in a world where
television revolves around Dora the
Explorer and Sesame Street, a
better solution needs to be found.
There is
currently one technology on the market that could be useful in monitoring
television access. The V-Chip became standard in all televisions manufactured
after January 1st, 2000 that are 13 inches in diameter or larger. The
V-Chip allows a television to block programming based on the show’s rating. The
V-Chip is also equipped to “block programs based on any future rating system”
(FCC.gov). Parents can easily program the V-Chip to automatically block
programming depending on rating. Due to
the great success and accessibility of the V-Chip, the same technology could be
used in other devices that children use to access media content. Equipping
computers, tablets, and smartphones with the same technology would allow
parents to better monitor and control the content that their children have
access to. Currently, there is no single device or technology that can monitor
usage across multiple platforms, be it TVs and computers or programming and the
Internet. Additionally, parental control services that do exist often come at a
cost, whether it be an upfront cost for a child-friendly device, or a
subscription package (FCC.gov).
There are a variety of different
types of “kid-friendly” tablets on the market that sell for a range of prices.
The cheapest Wi-Fi enabled devices sell for around $100, while the more
expensive versions top out around $250. The tablets are specially designed to
be knocked around, come with a wide array of apps for children, and are
equipped with parental controls all without skimping on quality software
(Crisp). Such tablets are a step in the right direction. Equipping children’s
tablets, computers, and TVs with V-Chips would give parents the ability to
control the content their child is exposed to. Creating a universal V-Chip
system to sync parental control information across multiple family devices
would be an ideal solution to help protect children from adult media content.
Emily Hauser
Emily Hauser
Works Cited
Crisp, Simon. "Choosing the Best
Tablet for Kids." Gizmag. N.p., 3 Nov. 2013. Web. Feb. 2014.
<http://www.gizmag.com/kids-tablet-buying-guide/29588/>.
Federal Communications Commission. Web. Feb. 2014. <http://www.fcc.gov>.
Poltrack, David. "The Outlook for
the Broadcast Networks (Powerpoint)." 2011 UBS 39th Annual Global Media
and Communications Conference. 5 December 2011.
Steel, Elizabeth H. “Examining the FCC’s
Indecency Regulations in Light of Today’s Technology”. Federal Communications Law Journal; Dec 2010; 63,1; ProQuest
Central.
In this digital revolution, media is everywhere. Computers, video games, television, and smart phones all crave for our attention. The copious amount of information we have at our finger tips is truly amazing of where we are today, but in addition to all the positive outcomes of technology it doesn’t mean there aren’t any consequences. With that being said, Emily you bring up a great topic in discussing the origins of The Federal Communications Commission and how to manage explicit media content. We live in a world now where a couple of words and a click of a button can bring up an enormous amount of sites, songs, and shows that are rather inappropriate for consumers; especially children.
ReplyDeleteToday adults, teens, and children are spending a lot of time immersed in entertainment media. To control what can be seen on TV or heard over the radio, the FCC regulations that are put in place to warn viewers what they are about to watch and censor profanity over the radio. In my opinion, even though the guidelines are implemented to warn the viewer of what they are watching it still doesn’t necessarily stop a child from watching a “mature audience” program. An article In Examining the FCC’s Indecency Regulations in Light of Today’s Technology, “These advances (meaning DVR) have made children’s access to broadcast media much easier, thus making the indecency regulations no longer feasible in today’s increasingly technological world” (Steel). So if the regulations put in place aren’t doing their job what can we as a society do to monitor children’s viewing?
To help kids make wise media choices, parents should monitor their media intake. Parents have a lot to deal with throughout their hectic days but they should still find time to be aware and involved of what their child is doing. It is up to the parents to teach their children how to use the various media platforms effectively and responsibly. Also as a parent, you should limit how much time your child should spend online. Parents are not alone in this fight to manage explicit content, cable companies like Comcast, Verizon Fios, AT&T U-Verse, and Internet subscribers like Netflix, and Hulu provide parental controls for parents to keep their children from watching content they deem inappropriate for their child exactly what you were talking about with the V-Chip. I know specifically for Comcast, you create a four digit pin number that allows parents to filter any TV Rating you listed in your blog and for Netflix you choose levels appropriate for a profile ranging from “Little Kids to Adults”. This is not just a nationwide problem but foreign governments like Australia are taking action as well. Through their Stay Smart Online website the Australian Government helps parents “play an important role in helping children have safe and positive experiences online” through numerous tips to achieve safety from the digital world (Australian Government Initiative).
It will only be a matter of time before a company creates a working device that allows parents to monitor their children’s activity through a single device. But until then there are effective ways of teaching children the proper techniques of using media devices across all platforms.
Steel, Elizabeth H. “Examining the FCC’s Indecency Regulations in Light of Today’s Technology”.Federal Communications Law Journal; Dec 2010; 63,1; ProQuest Central.
Australian Government Initiative. Web. 2014. .
The Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, is a necessary branch of the federal government. In this day in age where the envelope is constantly being pushed in all fronts of media, this is an unfortunate necessity. How far this organization is allowed to go in regulating, however, is a topic that must be discussed, as well as where the final responsibility of protecting younger viewers rests. The FCC’s black box of TV ratings is a great example of a compromise where every person involved wins. Parents can easily monitor what kind of shows their kids are watching, and with the addition of the “safe harbor” TV broadcasting hours parents were relatively assured their kids weren’t watching anything too unsavory. With the instillation of DVR’s, which according to David Poltrack’s “Outlook For The Broadcast Networks” is growing slowly but surely, the task of ensuring kids aren’t watching inappropriate shows has become more difficult, and with an eleven percent increase of 18-49 year olds, along with a twenty-three percent increase of fifty year olds or older use of DVR this past fall there’s no denying the trend (Kissell). Because of these increasing difficulties, some people are calling for stricter FCC regulations to protect the younger viewers in America. The simple reality of the situation is that the broadcast indecency laws are no longer effective (Steele 291). This is now the case because of the ability of anyone to stream almost anything, anytime, to multiple media platforms, with very few barriers, essentially nullifying the buffer zone that the FCC’s “safe harbor” times provided. Are more restrictions on the media industry really the answer though? Many, myself included, feel as though it isn’t. It isn’t the right thing to do, impinging on the First Amendment rights of every day Americans by the FCC is both immoral and impractical. How, then, to address this ever-increasing problem in a responsible and practical manor? I personally believe the solution, and the responsibility, lies with parents much more so than the government and any of their organizations. It’s about parents understanding that their kid’s exposure to inappropriate TV is their job to prevent, not anyone else’s. Now I’m a realist. I understand that it isn’t always practical for parents to watch everything their child watches with them to ensure it’s appropriate. So in order to fulfill their responsibility of making sure their kid doesn’t watch anything they don’t want them to watch, regardless of whether it’s on a TV, tablet, or whatever other device a kid may have, parents can make a simple investment. This investment is in the form of a TV larger than 13” manufactured after January 1, 2000, which is not asking a whole lot. Every TV manufactured since then comes equipped with a “V-chip” which allows parents to block any show based on its rating (FCC.gov). This is a fantastic modern solution to a modern problem when it comes to TV and inappropriate shows, regardless of whether or not they’re streamed. For families that equip their kids with tablets, iPads, or the like, there are versions of these products that have programmable censors for certain shows wired into their programming. In short, if you can afford to buy your kid an iPad, you can afford to buy them a “safe zone” one, and if you bought a TV in the last fourteen years you can make it kid-friendly, so there is no need to stem the flow of increasing exposure and access our youth have to media, both live and streamed, as long as parents do their job and take precautions.
ReplyDeleteWork Cited:
Steel, Elizabeth H. “Examining the FCC’s Indecency Regulations in Light of Today’s Technology”. Federal Communications Law Journal; Dec 2010; 63,1; ProQuest Central.
Poltrack, David. "The Outlook for the Broadcast Networks (Powerpoint)." 2011 UBS 39th Annual Global Media and Communications Conference. 5 December 2011.
Kissell, Rick. “When DVR Dust Settles, Broadcasters Up vs. Last Year in Premier Week.” Variety.com. October 14, 2013
Federal Communications Commission. Web. Feb. 2014. .