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TV Ratings & Channel Blocking
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The television industry has voluntary ratings for TV programs that appear in
the corner of your television screen during the first 15 seconds of each
television program. The ratings are also included in many magazines that
give TV ratings and in the television listings of many newspapers. Ratings
are given to all television programming except news, commercials, sports,
and unedited movies on premium cable channels.
The V-chip is a technology that lets parents block television programming
they don't want their children to watch. The V-Chip electronically reads
television-programming ratings and allows parents to block programs they
believe are unsuitable for their children. (Ratings appear in the corner of
your television screen during the first 15 seconds of a program and in TV
programming guides). This rating is encoded into the program, and the
V-chip technology reads the encoded information and blocks shows
accordingly. Using their remote control, parents can program the V-chip to
block certain shows based on their ratings.
Cable "Lockbox" and Set-top Boxes
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Cable subscribers may request a "lockbox" from cable operators to prevent
viewing any channel on which objectionable programming may appear. Cable
operators are required to make lockboxes available for sale or lease to
customers who request them. Lockboxes can also be purchased from other
commercial distributors.
The Communications Act includes a provision that is designed to increase
control over the programming coming into a subscriber's home. Section 640
requires a cable operator to scramble or block fully the audio and video
portions of programming services not specifically subscribed to by a
household. The cable operator must fully scramble or block the programming
in question upon the request of the subscriber and at no charge to the
subscriber.
Some cable analog and advanced analog set-top boxes give customers
the ability to
block channels of programming. To block the channel, the viewer enters the
correct Personal Identification Number ("PIN") code using the set-top's
remote control or keypad.
Digital set-top boxes provided by cable operators have parental control
capabilities that allow customers to block programming based on several
criteria. While not all boxes have the same features, a digital box might
allow viewers to block programming based on time and date, channel, program
title, TV rating and/or motion picture rating.
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