THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 2, 1994 TAG: 9412020026
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A20 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 42 lines
It's been almost 50 years since television began to invade our lives, our minds and our time. Much on the tube is wonderful, but the medium can get out of control - a kind of visual kudzu. Now inventive people are beginning to supply weapons with which beleaguered viewers can fight back.
A V-chip has been proposed to permit viewers to program their TVs to blank out violent programming. An S-chip that would do the same for sex has also been suggested, and a C-chip for commercials would undoubtedly be popular.
Some alarmists have worried that these chips would constitute some sort of threat to the free exchange of ideas or to free speech. Nonsense.
If a man's home is his castle, then he ought to be able to exclude unwelcome visitors whether they arrive in the flesh or electronically. That's hardly censorship. Devices permit the screening of incoming phone calls, and extending the concept to TV makes sense.
The various chips suggested are not yet available, but Time Slot is. Created by three North Carolina entrepreneurs, the device lets parents ration TV time for kids.
Each family member receives a magnetized card - like a credit card - and can be allotted so many hours of TV time a day. Each time he or she wants to watch a show, the card is run through the Time Slot box to turn on the TV. When the viewer's allotment of time runs out, the screen goes blank.
Users report more selective viewing by kids. Several studies have shown that as TV viewing time increases, reading scores decrease. That being the case, adoption of the gizmo could be good for educational performance.
At $149.95, the device isn't cheap, and the same effect can be achieved manually by parents courageous enough to yank the plug out of the wall. But as a sign that viewers are ready to tell the tube who's in charge, the development of Time Slot is encouraging. by CNB