May 10, 2006

NEW YORK – Over the past two months, a small group of activists has been making a lot of noise in Congress and at the FCC. They have just one goal in mind – to secure government control of what Americans watch on TV – which they have pursued since 2004 by regularly inundating the government with thousands of form-letter e-mail complaints and falsely dismissing parental controls as useless. A year ago this month, TV Watch stepped into this heated debate with a mission to educate families about effective, easy-to-use parental controls, and to expose the agenda of the vocal minority of activists who want to limit TV content to fit their singular tastes.

Today, those who call for more government intervention are as aggressive as ever, and the threat of increased government intervention is just as high. This vocal minority of activists abuses the broadcast complaint process by soliciting mass email complaints from supporters, whether they watched the TV show in question or not, in order to force the government to investigate a popular TV show. In response, TV Watch has strengthened its online arsenal of parental tools, information and news reports against continued efforts by these activists. “The threat of government control over what Americans can watch on TV has increased exponentially over the past year. Recent events, including the latest round of FCC fines, have shown that activists continue to push officials to impose their narrow standards on Americans – Americans who would much rather make their own decisions about what their families can and cannot watch on TV,” says Jim Dyke, TV Watch Executive Director.

New features on the TV Watch website, www.televisionwatch.org, are designed to make it easier for American TV audiences to exercise their right to make their own entertainment choices, and to raise public understanding of how activist groups threaten popular TV shows.

• Help for Parents – Tools, tips and product demonstrations to help families and individuals interested in blocking TV content before it ever hits the screen.

• Web Flash Poll – Share your opinion on the parental control tools you use at home and the best way for individuals and families to decide what they see on television.

• Your Favorite Shows Under Attack – Fans of popular TV shows may be surprised to know that a vocal minority of activists are running e-mail complaint campaigns against their favorite shows. Check in here to see how these activists use e-mail campaigns to pressure the government to penalize popular TV.

“The TV Watch website is a one-stop resource for anyone who wants to control what they see on TV. Whether you want to learn about parental controls or you’re concerned that special interests are trying to force changes in your favorite shows, TV Watch has the tools and information you need,” says Dyke.

The TV Watch website, www.televisionwatch.org, still offers popular features such as a free TV ratings remote control sticker and the TV Watch blog. The informational section, TV That Was Forced to Change, is a surprising, behind-the-scenes look at times when directors, producers and editors had to alter the original content of a TV program to avoid being targeted by the negative campaigns waged by a vocal minority of activists.

Since launching in May of 2005, TV Watch has led two education initiatives, Smart Summer TV and 1-2-3 Safe TV. Each campaign promoted awareness of parental controls and corrected myths started by a vocal minority of activists who have told parents that the control tools are difficult and ineffective.