SBCA Files Comments With FCC About Blocking Violent Programs From Children

Alexandria, Va.-based Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (SBCA) filed comments last Friday with the FCC about the commission’s Notice of Inquiry (NOI) on violent television programming and its impact on children. The SBCA commended the FCC for publicly addressing such an important yet sensitive topic and urged the FCC to consider technical, jurisdictional, and constitutional issues before taking regulatory action to address the matter. The direct broadcast satellite (DBS) services in the United States have been leaders in offering parental controls on the equipment that they have provided to their subscribers since they began service in the mid-1990s, the SBCA explained. The trade association also noted the satellite industry’s investment in technology and measures that respond to consumer’s concerns about inappropriate programming content for children. Since DBS provides tools and educates parents on the functionality of set-top box controls, additional regulation is unwarranted, the SBCA argued. “We have led the way in providing the appropriate tools needed to enable families to make the decisions on what content they choose to bring into their home, not the government,” said Richard DalBello, SBCA president. “Consumers want to have control over their viewing options and DBS has responded to their wishes while presenting them with the technology to safeguard their children.”