Today the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and lawmakers announced the “Family Choice Act of 2007,” legislation which should be more aptly named the “Nanny State Micromanages the Video Industry Act.” Those who drafted the legislation, and the FCC Chairman, claim this legislation will enable government to provide parents with the tools to select what they and their families view on television.
Of course, parents already have all the tools they need to select which channels are available to their children. This bill is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Under the guise of protecting children, the bill expands government interference in the freedom of companies to determine their own business models.
Who determines which channels and what programming constitutes “family friendly”? The government, that's who. This is an alarming thought to anyone who really understands the meaning of “one-size-fits-all,” which in this case would be more accurately understood as “one size fits none.”
Ironically, many of the more famous recent incidents involving televised objectionable material occurred on the major broadcast networks, not cable, which almost certainly would be considered family friendly under this bill.
Parents have been increasingly empowered over the years, as every major provider of video services has deployed systems to block undesired channels. Parents don’t always use those options, but at least they have the power to do so.
And if families don’t want to watch the more-questionable channels and programs, that will show up in negative Nielsen ratings and may prove less valuable to advertisers.
But not even these methods can prove as powerful or efficient as parental responsibility and the on/off button.