National Coalition Launches www.STOPMTV.org

releases.usnewswire.com ^

[chance33_98]

National Coalition Launches www.STOPMTV.org

2/13/04 1:42:00 PM

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To: National Desk, Religion Reporter

Contact: Maryam Kubasek of the National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families, 513-521-6227, ext. 111; web: http://www.nationalcoalition.org

CINCINNATI, Feb. 13 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families has launched a new educational initiative regarding MTV and its negative impact on teens. The organization has launched a web site, http://www.stopmtv.org , which gives parents some startling facts about the music channel and encourages them to make some tough choices regarding viewing it.

MTV's latest production, the halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVIII, showed the nation its true colors. "If parents found that shocking, they'd really be amazed at what is on MTV 24 hours a day," noted Rick Schatz, president and CEO of the National Coalition.

Over the past 23 years, MTV has grown from a fledgling music network to become the most visible, visual and vocal communicator of sexualized messages to teen and pre-teen audiences. Today they reach 350 million households, worldwide (PBS On-Line, 2001) with 39 percent of their viewers under the age of 18 (Nielson Media Research, 2000).

Research has also shown that 73 percent of boys and 78 percent of girls 12-19 years old watch MTV for more than 6 hours per week. Clearly, MTV has powerfully saturated youth culture and helps define sexual values, not just reflect them.

From their around-the-clock reality shows to their amped-up music videos, MTV celebrates unrestrained sex of all kinds and many of its music videos glorify violence.

The National Coalition's new site gives parents suggestions on what they can do in their own homes, including requesting a "trap" from their cable company that will block the channel. In addition, the site offers talking points parents can use when conversing with their teens about the topic.

"We recognize that this has the potential to cause conflict between teens and parents," said Jack Samad, senior vice president and producer of Sex & Young America. "Therefore, we encourage parents to approach this topic with a spirit of openness and cooperation. We give parents the tools they need to teach their kids to think critically about the messages on MTV.

"The bottom line is that parents do NOT want MTV to be the source of sex education for their kids," he added.

[AppyPappy]

I don't need those if the cable company just pulls MTV from the feed.

Or they can just deal with the mob.

[MineralMan]

"I don't need those if the cable company just pulls MTV from the feed.
"

Well, since they can't pull it from just YOUR feed, then what you're advocating is that they pull it from everyone's feed.

That's nanny stuff. No thanks!

[AppyPappy]

BS. They can do it. They WON'T do it.

[MineralMan]

"BS. They can do it. They WON'T do it.
"

No, they can't do it. Your cable comes from a neighborhood distribution box. The signal coming to that box contains all the channels on your cable system. There is no way to block a particular channel at that point. The neighborhood distribution box is fed by a cable that also contains all the channels available on that cable's system. There's no way to block it before it gets to your set.

This applies to all non-digital channels you receive...the ones you can get without hooking up to a cable box in your house.

The digital channels...the ones that can't be received without the cable box...could be blocked from reception at your house, but MTV is _normally_ not one of those on most cable systems, since it carries advertizing and is generally distributed on the basic cable lineup.

However, YOU can block it very easily. Your cable box can do it. Your TV should be able to do it, as long as it's less than 6 years old.

The cable company cannot, however, block that signal just from YOUR house without blocking it from EVERY house.

As I said, you're proposing nanny stuff...the province of the liberals. Again, no thanks!

[<1/1,000,000th%]

"We recognize that this has the potential to cause conflict between teens and parents," said Jack Samad, senior vice president and producer of Sex & Young America.

As if this could be avoided.

[AppyPappy]

Funny. My old cable company blocked it. I guess they were light years ahead of everyone.

[GulliverSwift]

I think what they want is an a la carte arrangement of channels. I personally would love to have some of the premium channels but can't afford them. I'd gladly trade all of the kiddy, game, religious, spanish, and "music" channels for one.

The reason this type of arrangement doesn't happen is that too many of the channels are owned by companies who also have stakes in the delivery. This makes it hard to persuade them to cut off part of their revenue stream.

[Tribune7]

The problem here is in demanding that nobody watch a channel that somebody thinks is evil.

It's a matter of options. Most cable companies are practical monopolies in their towns. Suppose a community wants to allow Nickleodian but replace MTV with something else? I see no reason or social benefit to allow Viacom to bundle it's programming.

Concerning the concept of "evil" one has to recognize that it objectively exists and is more than a matter of opinion. A televangelist committing fraud is evil. Do you have a problem with the criminal prosecution of Jim Bakker & PTL?

I would call implying to pre-teens and teens that promiscuous sex is inconsequentional, and glamorous, "evil." If you are uncomfortable with "evil" then substitute "socially undesirable"

[MineralMan]

"Funny. My old cable company blocked it. I guess they were light years ahead of everyone.
"

So what is your cable company now? I know you're in Virginia, since that's on your profile. Do you have digital cable? What channel does MTV come in on there?

[MineralMan]

"It's a matter of options. Most cable companies are practical monopolies in their towns. Suppose a community wants to allow Nickleodian but replace MTV with something else? I see no reason or social benefit to allow Viacom to bundle it's programming. "

Community? What community? Does the "community" get to dictate to everyone in that community? That smacks of socialism, as far as I'm concerned.

Since it's now so easy to block channels in your home, the cable company can broadcast Nickelodeon and MTV, too, leaving the choices of what the individual subscribers want to watch up to the individual subscribers.

Do you not have the ability to block viewing of individual channels in your home? If not, what cable company has your subscription?

[MineralMan]

"I think what they want is an a la carte arrangement of channels. I personally would love to have some of the premium channels but can't afford them. I'd gladly trade all of the kiddy, game, religious, spanish, and "music" channels for one.
"

Actually, that's coming, but not until digital cable service is everywhere. In order to customize your selection of channels, you'll need them all to be digital. Digital cable is actually an extension of the internet. Your digital cable box has an IP address, just like your computer. Once everything is digital, cable companies will be able to offer you whatever package you want. Right now, though, basic cable is mandated by most cable company's franchise agreements in the community.

It's full of channels which use advertising to pay for programming, so the cost to the cable company is low to provide basic cable service.

They charge too much for it, of course, but there it is.

You'll have your customizable cable system in a few years, where you pay for the channels you watch and don't get the channels you don't pay for. It won't be cheaper, though.

[MineralMan]

"I think what they want is an a la carte arrangement of channels. I personally would love to have some of the premium channels but can't afford them. I'd gladly trade all of the kiddy, game, religious, spanish, and "music" channels for one.
"

Actually, that's coming, but not until digital cable service is everywhere. In order to customize your selection of channels, you'll need them all to be digital. Digital cable is actually an extension of the internet. Your digital cable box has an IP address, just like your computer. Once everything is digital, cable companies will be able to offer you whatever package you want. Right now, though, basic cable is mandated by most cable company's franchise agreements in the community.

It's full of channels which use advertising to pay for programming, so the cost to the cable company is low to provide basic cable service.

They charge too much for it, of course, but there it is.

You'll have your customizable cable system in a few years, where you pay for the channels you watch and don't get the channels you don't pay for. It won't be cheaper, though.

[MineralMan]

Sorry for the double post.

[cyborg]

Parents who don't want their children watching MTV should not get cable, or get basic cable or screen the shows they watch. I happen to like MTV but then I'm 30 and don't take it seriously.

[Imagine]

We need a federal and state laws requiring cable and satelite providers to give subscribers the right to delete programing from being SENT to them. In other words, we subscribers need the right to delete specific offending programs (i.e. MTV, VHS, Oxygen, etc.) from the cable or satellite service they pay for. That way we can call up the provider and say "delete MTV, etc."

Just "parent locking" the show off your TV isn't good enough. It sends NO message to the provider, the advertisers and/or the proucers of these shows.

I would have loved to been able to delete these offending shows over the years, but when I inquired, I was told they were bundled with other programing, which I would lose as well.

[MineralMan]

"Parents who don't want their children watching MTV should not get cable, or get basic cable or screen the shows they watch. I happen to like MTV but then I'm 30 and don't take it seriously."

Well, yes. My point exactly. Or they can go to the site for which I posted the URL and obtain tools to control what their children view.

I'd rather not have other people controlling what I view, though. I'm not a child.

[MineralMan]

"First off, there isn't a problem, here. You make it sound as if this organization is engaged in some sort of censorship effort, to decide what you should watch. "

I went to:

http://www.stopMTV.org

With an organization name like that, it's clear what they want to do, don't you think. Indeed, the site says nothing about their actual goals. It's just a whine about MTV and a collection point for personal information of those who object to MTV.

What will they do with that info? Who knows?

[MineralMan]

"I would have loved to been able to delete these offending shows over the years, but when I inquired, I was told they were bundled with other programing, which I would lose as well.

"

And they were telling you the truth. That will eventually change, and you'll be able to buy a package with just the channels you want, but the technology is just not there yet. Until cable is fully digital, you either buy the package or nothing. They can't do what you want yet.

Or...you can use the tools available to block any channel you don't want to see. How hard is that?

[Tribune7]

Community? What community?

The community with which the cable company contracts to provide an exclusive serivce.

Does the "community" get to dictate to everyone in that community?

No, but it gets to dictate to the cable company.

That smacks of socialism, as far as I'm concerned.

It's the status quo, albeit Viacom can refrain from providing channels that a community may want if the community should reject a particular offering.

Do you agree that it is unwise to promote the belief that sexual promiscuity is inconsequential and glamorous?

[MineralMan]

"It's the status quo, albeit Viacom can refrain from providing channels that a community may want if the community should reject a particular offering.

Do you agree that it is unwise to promote the belief that sexual promiscuity is inconsequential and glamorous?"

---

Yes, I agree that it is unwise. Do you agree that it is unwise for the government to decide what you watch on television?

While I live in a town, I do not necessarily agree with the beliefs of the majority in that town. My community votes overwhelmingly for Democrats.

I do not want others deciding what I view on television. I do not want others deciding what I read. That's my job, not the "community's" job.

I am a community of one. I don't even agree 100% with my wife. I don't even want her telling me what I can and cannot watch on television, nor would I presume to tell her what to watch or not watch.

Anytime you abrogate your personal responsibility for your choices to the "community," you act in a socialistic manner.

Please block MTV in YOUR house. I don't watch it, myself, but you may not block it, or the Fox News Channel, or any other channel in MY house. Neither may the "community," whatever you think that might be.

Community standards are never standards for the members of the community. Each of us has the right (and responsibility) to set our own standards, as long as our actions do not break any laws or interfere with another's rights.

YOU do NOT get to decide what I watch on MY television set. It's that simple. I don't need a nanny.