Don't Touch That Dial! Family-Friendly TV's Coming
Cox Communications has become the third cable-television provider in a month to unveil family-friendly programming packages that will help parents weed out the amount of sex, violence and rough language their kids see on TV.
Cox announced last week it will offer a family programming "tier" beginning with the first quarter of this year. Time Warner and Comcast each revealed in December separate plans to launch family packages to consumers early in 2006.
"We are pleased to offer this package to our customers who are concerned about certain content entering their home," Cox president Pat Esser told Mediaweek.com.
Cox will offer a package of approximately 40 channels at a cost of about $32 per month in selected viewing markets, as well as a religious network and additional Spanish-language networks on a per-location basis, according to the website. Networks included in the Cox package must offer G-rated programming that is "suitable for family viewing with minimal chance of objectionable content or disturbing images."
Time Warner was the first of the three providers to make public its plans for more family-friendly programming.
Its announcement in mid-December stated that in early 2006 it will introduce a Family Choice Tier of 15 mostly sex-and-violence-free services that will include Disney Channel, the Weather Channel, CNN Headline News and HGTV. USA Today reported that the package will be offered for $13 a month as an alternative to the expanded basic package.
"We selected channels that were G-rated in nature, did not include 'live' entertainment programming and which contained content that was generally perceived as acceptable for the entire family to view." stated Time Warner CEO Glenn Britt, according to USA Today.
A week after Time Warner's announcement, Comcast Corp. revealed its would offer a family-tier package of 16 channels of "mostly G-rated programming" that include Disney Channel, Discovery's Science Channel, National Geographic Channel and religious programmer TBN (Trinity Broadcasting).
According to Mediapost.com, Comcast's package will be available to 99 percent of all its subscribers who have access to its "Digital Cable" service. The family tier will cost on average $31.20 per month, depending on the market.
A Comcast spokeswoman said the family tier packaging is about choice. The company also offers a Hispanic-language tier of programming as well as a sports tier package. However, proponents of "à la carte pay-TV programming," which encompasses both cable and satellite TV, say family tiers are an effort to stop their efforts to force providers to sell programming by the individual channel.
Cox announced last week it will offer a family programming "tier" beginning with the first quarter of this year. Time Warner and Comcast each revealed in December separate plans to launch family packages to consumers early in 2006.
"We are pleased to offer this package to our customers who are concerned about certain content entering their home," Cox president Pat Esser told Mediaweek.com.
Cox will offer a package of approximately 40 channels at a cost of about $32 per month in selected viewing markets, as well as a religious network and additional Spanish-language networks on a per-location basis, according to the website. Networks included in the Cox package must offer G-rated programming that is "suitable for family viewing with minimal chance of objectionable content or disturbing images."
Time Warner was the first of the three providers to make public its plans for more family-friendly programming.
Its announcement in mid-December stated that in early 2006 it will introduce a Family Choice Tier of 15 mostly sex-and-violence-free services that will include Disney Channel, the Weather Channel, CNN Headline News and HGTV. USA Today reported that the package will be offered for $13 a month as an alternative to the expanded basic package.
"We selected channels that were G-rated in nature, did not include 'live' entertainment programming and which contained content that was generally perceived as acceptable for the entire family to view." stated Time Warner CEO Glenn Britt, according to USA Today.
A week after Time Warner's announcement, Comcast Corp. revealed its would offer a family-tier package of 16 channels of "mostly G-rated programming" that include Disney Channel, Discovery's Science Channel, National Geographic Channel and religious programmer TBN (Trinity Broadcasting).
According to Mediapost.com, Comcast's package will be available to 99 percent of all its subscribers who have access to its "Digital Cable" service. The family tier will cost on average $31.20 per month, depending on the market.
A Comcast spokeswoman said the family tier packaging is about choice. The company also offers a Hispanic-language tier of programming as well as a sports tier package. However, proponents of "à la carte pay-TV programming," which encompasses both cable and satellite TV, say family tiers are an effort to stop their efforts to force providers to sell programming by the individual channel.
posted by Strang Webmaster at 9:28 AM
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