I think that parents should controll what there kids watch if they think a show is offensive. But I think it is up to the parents. They can't use a TV as a babysitter then get mad when there kids get messages and images that they don't aprove of. One good point that the article does make is the packaging of stations. That you should be able to only have ths stations you want. I belive that is how it worked in the old days of cable. I think it is possible to do. But each station might cost differant amounts and it would make cable bills very a lot. I'm sure the cable companies and stations don't want that(more work and more complicated). There would be no guarnte of how many homes a station would go into. I think it is a good idea but think it might really hurt cable and hurt a lot of weaker stations. For example LOGO if your not gay you probably wouldn't order it (ibelive a MTV or some major company owns it) But with less viewers then it would get less revunue and less ads from fewer presumed views. However the upside would be that each station would know how many people watch it. If every channel was picked you wouldn't pic a station you had to payfor if you warn't going to watch it. But this might hurt good stations that you don't watch that often. A good example of that is Comedy Central. I love South Park and Drawn togather but if that is the only thing I watch on there then I might decide it isn't worth the money for two shows. Sometimes you learn of interesting programs by watching other shows on the same net work. That happens a lot with football and WWE if you watch either of them then you see adds for that networks or stations shows that you may not have known about. In any event I think it is an interesting article.


BEHIND THE HEADLINES
Battle of the network watchdogs

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The Parents Television Council has emerged as an aggressive advocate of family-friendly programming. But Hollywood is finding a new way to fight back.

By COLLEEN MCCAIN NELSON
Dallas Morning News
8/25/2005

Click to view larger picture

Fox's "The O.C." is one of the many programs targeted by Parents Television Council.

DALLAS - "The O.C." is out when it comes to family-friendly TV shows. And don't even get started on what's wrong with MTV.
"If MTV isn't vulgar, then Colorado doesn't have mountains, and the pope isn't Catholic," says L. Brent Bozell, president of the Parents Television Council, a million-member organization that takes aim at indecency in the media. He calls MTV an "innocence-nuking spectacle for the pre-teen audience."

But now, with the fall TV season approaching, Hollywood and the networks are fighting back. Three major media companies - NBC Universal, Viacom and News Corp. - have launched TV Watch to advocate parental controls and oppose government intervention. This newly minted group, which has brought together an unusual mix of corporations, creative types and conservative, free market proponents, is emerging as the council's adversary in a growing battle over what's appropriate for the airwaves. "The discussion had turned into a very one-sided debate," said TV Watch executive director Jim Dyke. "Our group was formed to balance out the debate and provide some reason."

The Parents Television Council was founded 10 years ago but became more visible after Janet Jackson bared her breast during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show.

Now, the privately funded nonpartisan organization is signing up new members and starting local chapters. Their goal: Compel the FCC to crack down on programming the group believes crosses the line. But critics say the parents' council represents the minority view.

"They have a heckler's veto over speech and content," said Adam Thierer, a senior fellow at the Progress and Freedom Foundation, a think tank that studies the digital revolution and supports limited government. He notes the council's list of worst TV programs includes many of the most popular, including "CSI" and "Will & Grace."

Opponents of the Parents Television Council have dubbed the group an automated complaint factory. The group's Web site does make it easy to express your outrage. You can sign up for alerts detailing sex, violence and profanity in the media. You can study the council's assessments of almost every TV show. And you can add your name to a form letter and submit a complaint to the FCC.

And the council leaves little doubt about where it stands.

" "Nip/Tuck' is not just a show that's completely inappropriate for impressionable children to watch," the group says of the edgy FX network drama about plastic surgery. "It's a show adults should be convincing other adults not to support. The sanity of our popular culture depends on our objections."

But TV Watch says that parents already possess the antidote to all things offensive. Nearly all televisions now have V-chips (electronic circuits that can be used to block programming), and cable and satellite systems offer an array of other parental controls, said Dyke, the coalition's executive director.

The problem? Most people don't use them. "People are still a little bit leery of programming their TV," Dyke said. "They want to watch it. They don't want to build it."

So, TV Watch is launching new advertising trying to get the word out, telling parents how to use the V-chip and other controls and explaining the TV ratings system, he said. TV Watch is nonpartisan, and though the seed money came from media companies, the coalition includes groups from opposite ends of the political spectrum, including the Creative Coalition and Americans for Tax Reform.

Dyke, a former communications director for the Republican National Committee, said his group aims to stop the Parents Television Council from using the government to decide what constitutes quality television.

"The government as parent has not typically been a successful model," he said.

But the council complains that parents are thwarted at almost every juncture when they try to stem the flow of objectionable television into their homes. Cable companies, they note, bundle channels such as MTV into all-or-nothing packages, forcing viewers who want to order Nickelodeon to pay for other programming that may not appeal to them. Bozell said that channels should be offered a la carte.

The parents' council dismisses suggestions that the V-chip and other controls are sufficient to protect children. Bozell called the argument "hokum," adding that "Hollywood needs to clean up its act instead of lecturing parents about what they need to do."

I heard on the news today that in New York City they are adding a bunch of camaras to the subways and trains. It sounded like it is going to cost a lot of money. I think that is a good idea it should have been long ago. But what I dissaprove of is the random bag checks. The reason is that they are basicly illegal searchs. Yeah people are flipping out because of the london bombing but that is no reason to impead on peoples rights. What if you have your weed in there on your way to your buddies house are they going to arrest you? What about if vibrator or other sex toys do you really want everyone on the subway to see that. What about your illegaly downloaded or bootleg movies and music can they arrest you for that. Or is it only items that would be considered terrorist like a mask and whips and chains or would that BE S&M. Explosives can be trigered by cell phones so wouldn't they have the right to take those if you look suspicious. Granted some of the things I mentioned might not get you arrested but I'm sure the guy checking the bag can make up a story to make it sound like you did something wrong to make the search fall under probable cause. If you have drugs they can take all your money and say you where selling and that is drug money. I think that the random searchs are a violation of peoples civil rights and right to privacy. Every totolarian society started by people giving up there rights for there saftey. If we arn't carefull we will wind up like China. We will become the place that belives the rights of the whole are more important then the rights of the individual.

I read an interesting article in the Buffalo News today about Sex ofenders. Some people think they should be tracked with tracking braclets. Some people want to restrict them from living near schools, daycares, parks and playgrounds. I do understand that people hate sex offenders and want to protect there kids. But sex offenders do have rights also. There are so many schools in Buffalo and lots of parks that a sex offender might not be able to even live here or only have a few places to live. I think that if the state restricts you from where you can live they should have to pay into where you live. Since you don't have the fredom to chose where you live you shouldn't have to pay to live there. I think this is anotherone of those moments where we decide to chose the fealing of being safe over peoples rights. I forget the ladies name but she is selling Keep our kids safe stickers and braclets. I can understand where she is cooming from and the design on them looks nice. Not to mention that these actions are discrimanatory. If you murder some one when you get out of jail you don't have to go and sign up at the police station as a free murderer. Then if you move you don't have to tell the cops at the new station that you killed somebody and served all your time in jail. Parole is not the same thing that counts as serving your time and you still are part of the penal system. They don't do that to drug dealers when they are let out after they have served time.

Yeah I know HBO has a saying "Its not TV its HBO" so maybe i am using the wrong catogory but oh well. I have to admit I like my HBO Documanteries like Real Sex. Cathouse the Series is great it really is. They have a couple more shows about sex coming on that might be interesting one is about transgendered hookers in Hiwai, then they have a better sex mini series that was on in england, and an indepth look at a porn star who's name I forgot. More more info you can go to www.hbo.com . I also really enjoy Bill Maher, I think that even if you disagree with his politics you can still enjoy his show. I'm looking forward to the Return of The Sopranos that is a great show. I think one thing that makes HBO and other pay stations shows and mini series so good is they can do what they want. They don't have to worry about content being edited. The other thing is that they can make shows however long they want. For example Entourage not all the episodes are exactly the same length on a network that would never really work it would mess up the commericals. I wonder if other stations other then Fox will come out with cable stations where they can push the envolope a little farther or a pay station where they can do what they want. Don't get me wrong I love 24 and think the writing is amazing. But if it where a pay station they could raise the bar even higher it would be in real time with out commericals. I don't know if any of the networks are willing to take a chance. The other thing that might be interesting to see is a Pay perview in depand service. It would be like HBO in Demand and it would be free with HBO service but by a network that way some shows could be a lot more graffic and better. A good example I can think of is The OC, there is a lot of hooking up. I think it would be great to have seen Alex completly nude or skin could have used real shots on real porn sets.

I went to see the bus Derby yesterday it was a lot of fun. I took a bunch of pictures and thought I would share some of them with you. I didn't put up any pictures of the derby. The pictures don't really do it justice it was a lot of fun to watch it really was cool, I would go again.

[inlink]metalpeter,406[/inlink] Not sure if this really falls into the catogory of political or not. Maybe it is NFTA but not sure. In a previous journal I metioned I read an article in The Buffalo News, well I remembered what it was. It was about how the NFTA has camaras all over the place. But it was more then just about them it was about how there are camaras all over the place. It was about is it a violation ofprivacy. It was also brought up the point that there should be some goverenig body to make sure that there isn't abuse and that currently there arn't really anylaws about what is done with that footage after words. One lady was upset about the Half & Half web came because you arn't notified that there is one there and she claimed that she came out the dressing rooms a couple of times with just panites on. (note to self go hang out in half and half or watch the cam). Business owners said that cams are a deterant to crime. I found the article verry interesting.

The other night I watche a report I think on 20/20 about parents spying on there kids with camaras in there rooms or with GPS units in there cars. That was an interesting piece. It seems like a good Idea to make sure your kids are safe on the internet and arn't getting into trouble it can be a deterant. But one of the problems is that it breaks down trust. I know some experts thought it was a bad idea becuae you arn't dealing with the real issues. I found it verry interesting, espically the spy shop place that was very cool.

I like that in the chat when you send something and it is thinking you get a spinning Ying Yang. I like that symbol. I forget the exact meaning of it but know the basics. That Male has a little female, Female has a little male, Evil has a little good, good has a little evil. It is about balance and that two opposites have a little bit of there opposite in them. It is part of eastern thought and confusionism from what I remeber. The ying yang is used in a few adds. My favorite Soda/ Pop Pepsi uses its own version of the Ying Yang and a Cigeratte company might be Salem uses it also. There might be some other companies that I don't know about that use it also. I have to admit I also like all the therme choices. I don't have a favorite really. I think the Amerika theme was the best but maybe it was because it said made in china I found that funny.

In the artvoice or as (e:jason) would call it one of the shit rags I read an interesting story about the marine drive apartments as asbestos. I admit i didn't get it all but it was still interesting.

I read a story in the paper that I wanted to write about but kinda blanked on the facts, I think it was in todays papper. There may have been to articles. But the one I remember was about the Casino possibly beeing bulit in downtown. First of all I Didn' get a chance to read about the anti casino people meeting with canidates for mayor. The article had to do with eminentant domain and how often people who go to Casinos don't spend money on places out side of the casino. I think that with good promoting that wouldn't be true. I know some casino's have there own entertainment. But I think that if some Bars and businesses that warn't in the casino advertised then people might go to them. I think you could have good sports and casino packages and or promotions. It would be nice for a casino to be in downtown Buffalo because it would bring more people to the city and maybe some people from the Buffalo suburbs into. Part of the article did mention that they need to be creative and maybe have slots on chip strip. I think a cool Idea depending on where the casino winds up being is a Buffalo shuttle service from some of the bars to the casino and from HSBC arena to the casino. That would also encourage people from the casino to go to other things in Buffalo. I'm not a gambler but If I where to go to Vegas or the Fallsview resort casino. I wouldn't want to only gamble. What if I lost all my money before it was time to sleep. I know there are a few tours of Buffalo it would be cool if they could be advertised in the casinos. I know somepeople are really for the casinos and some are really opposed to them. I think if done right it could be a real boost to buffalo and maybe if really done right it could spawn some more delopment downtown. I wish the Rich stadium was downtown. I think a water front stadium like Cleveland would be awesome. I don't know if you can have sports beting at indain casinos. But if you can that would be cool. We could all bet on the bills to lose to teams they where better then and bet on them to lose to teams that are better then them and we would lose all our money. The point I'm trying to get to is that if promotions are done right the casino (if it ever happens) could be verry good for buffalo. Check out the Buffalonews for the article.

At work I fill orders. I do mostly smaller orders that go ups and fed ex. Some of our orders are bigger then some of the small truck orders in terms of weight. Then I process them. There are also orders that go by trucks. Orders with oxy are heavy. I'm not the only one who does line orders. But today we had a lot of line and truck orders so I'm a bit tired. Plus my co worker had to leave for part of the day. So for some of the time I was filling the orders boxing them doing the paper work then using the software to send them UPS and FED EX wich includes pallettizing them also, by myself. Today I was not Happy. Our boss/co worker helped out on the line when he could. Tommarow is going to suck to. I like what I'm doing but some times I have to listen to heavy music to cope with the stress. It can really help sometimes. My job isn't stressfull intself it is just that in the back of your head you know they pay more for the same work at other companies. The other factor is you want to get all the work done but sometimes there is just to much. Don't get me wrong some overtime is nice. But it would also be nice if we didn't have to do it to get everything done. But you can't work to late otherwise you are no longer effective. I may be back on complaining again on thursday but it is payday and on saturday I'm going to the fair I hope it is nice.

Last night before WWE came on I watched about an Hour of the Steelers Vs. Philadelphia. I don't know who wound up winning. I did check in on it during the breaks in wrestling. I'm really looking forward to regular season starting. I'm usaly a 3 game person depending on who is playing. I watch the two day games and then the game at night. The Bills are not the only team I like. I'm not a Falcons fan but I like to watch there games becuase watching Vick is fun. The same can be said of the Packers sord of. I'm not a packers fan but a like Farve. But what i find interesting is that in California it is 3 hours earlier. Since they are live that might be odd waking up that early to watch football. But at the same time the 8pm game would be on at five and over around 8 or 9 then you could still watch your prime time programing. Or at least this Is how I assume it would work I'm sure twisted could give me more info on watching live TV based on eastcoast times.