Family and Consumer Choice Act of 2007
Encyclopedia
The Family and Consumer Choice Act of 2007 (H.R. 2738 IH) is a proposed bill
introduced by United States Representatives Daniel Lipinski (D
-IL
-3) and Jeff Fortenberry
(R
-NE
-1
) intending to allow families to choose and pay for only the cable TV television channels that they want to watch so that it will be easier to prevent their children from cable content they consider indecent. In addition, the bill would impose the same decency standards already in place on broadcast television
onto cable channels, as between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. in the Eastern and Pacific
time zones (5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the Central and Mountain
time zones), any indecent type of program, including but not limited to programs rated "TV-14" or "TV-MA" under the TV Parental Guidelines
, may not be broadcast. Lipinski has stated that it will provide parents, who are "the first line of defense in protecting their kids... more help". Currently, all cable television
operators in the United States
provide their channels in packages without offering packages containing only educational, news, family, or sports channels.
caused the exposure of co-performer Janet Jackson
's breast
for two seconds, the conservative media watchdog group Parents Television Council
launched campaigns against indecency on television - both broadcast
and cable
. The Council released in November 2004 a study documenting the significant increase sex, profanity
, and violence
on basic cable television channels, using this study as well as numerous future press releases and reports in their push for à la carte cable offerings. PTC President Tim Winter also wrote an article arguing that cable choice would not only benefit families, but also the general public because cable television subscribers who do not have children would also have the choice not to pay for channels for younger audiences. PTC president L. Brent Bozell III wrote a similar op-ed
for USA Today
in April 2005.
Some cable providers, such as Comcast
and Time Warner Cable
have issued "family tiers," cable packages exclusively with family-oriented channels, but the PTC criticized such packages as not catering to the interest of the PTC's constituency, as both "tiers" omitted news and sports channels (such as CNN
and ESPN
) yet - in the case of Comcast - included such channels that the PTC deemed not "family-friendly," such as TBS for showing reruns of Friends
and Sex and the City
and USA Network
for its reruns of Law & Order: Criminal Intent
and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
. Nevertheless, TBS does show programs the PTC has deemed family-friendly or inoffensive, including Major League Baseball
coverage, Everybody Loves Raymond
, Home Improvement, and The King of Queens
, while also broadcasting the PTC-banned programs Dawson's Creek
and The Drew Carey Show
. In addition, USA Network
currently shows PTC-approved programs JAG
and Monk
. The PTC also criticized Time Warner for much of the same reasons, also claiming that "[a]ccording to Time Warner, classic movies are not appropriate for families. And neither is religious programming," referring to the omission of channels such as Turner Classic Movies
and The Word Network from the package. In January 2006, then-PTC president L. Brent Bozell III argued during a United States Senate
hearing on indecency that Comcast and Time Warner "have designed these family tiers to fail, because they would like nothing better than for the family tier concept to fail so they could claim after the fact that no demand exists for a different way of doing business in the cable industry." He later went on to claim that "cable channel choice to America's families ... is the only option available that creates a real[ly] free market in the cable industry." In February of that year, the PTC praised a report by the Federal Communications Commission
for supporting à la carte cable subscriptions. In July, the PTC met with Congressmen Dan Lipinski
and Tom Osborne to support cable choice legistlation.
Other supporting organizations for cable choice have included the American Decency Association
, American Family Association
, Concerned Women for America
, Coral Ridge Ministries, Family Research Council
, Focus on the Family
, and Morality in Media
. Additionally, Frederick S. Lane expressed support for cable choice in his 2006 book The Decency Wars: The Campaign to Cleanse American Culture, although expressing doubt that it would make a negative impact on channels that the PTC has deemed offensive, such as MTV
and Comedy Central
, claiming that those networks would continue to have plentiful viewership while religious channels would decline.
and Jeff Fortenberry
introduced the Family and Consumer Choice Act of 2007. The PTC praised their effort, citing several adult-oriented cable programs soon to be on the air such as the fourth season Rescue Me
beginning on FX, The Sopranos
airing on A&E Network
, and Comedy Central
's "Dirty Dozen" block of its hit animated comedy series South Park
, where the network would air the most profane, vulgar episodes of the series, including "The Death Camp of Tolerance
" and "It Hits the Fan
".
PTC Director of Government Affairs Dan Isett, who lobbies the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) on the PTC's behalf, testified that cable choice can still benefit cable programs, citing the series finale
of HBO's The Sopranos
that was the most-watched show on cable television on the week of its initial broadcast even though HBO was a "premium" cable network available only to subscribers who ordered it in addition to their standard cable packages. Also present during the news conference to celebrate the introduction of the bill were representatives from Concerned Women for America
and Consumers Union
. Alabama
Congressman Robert Aderholt
supports this bill.
The part of the bill intending to apply the FCC's broadcast indecency standards to cable television - under the bill, no television station, regardless of broadcast or cable, may air indecent content during the day - has been questioned, given that parental controls including the V-Chip
are readily available to most parents. Religious televangelists Jerry Falwell
and Pat Robertson
have also opposed the concept of cable choice from the very beginning because they felt that viewership for their cable programs would decline.
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
introduced by United States Representatives Daniel Lipinski (D
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
-IL
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
-3) and Jeff Fortenberry
Jeff Fortenberry
Jeffrey Lane "Jeff" Fortenberry, born December 27, 1960) is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is based in Lincoln and includes most of the eastern third of the state outside the immediate Omaha area.-Early life, education and...
(R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-NE
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
-1
Nebraska's 1st congressional district
Nebraska's 1st congressional district seat encompasses most of the eastern quarter of the state. It includes the state capital, Lincoln, Fremont, Norfolk, Beatrice and South Sioux City. It is currently held by Jeff Fortenberry, a Republican. George W. Bush received 63% of the vote in this district...
) intending to allow families to choose and pay for only the cable TV television channels that they want to watch so that it will be easier to prevent their children from cable content they consider indecent. In addition, the bill would impose the same decency standards already in place on broadcast television
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
onto cable channels, as between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. in the Eastern and Pacific
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
time zones (5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the Central and Mountain
Mountain Time Zone
The Mountain Time Zone of North America keeps time by subtracting seven hours from Coordinated Universal Time, also known as Greenwich Mean Time, during the shortest days of autumn and winter , and by subtracting six hours during daylight saving time in the spring, summer, and early autumn...
time zones), any indecent type of program, including but not limited to programs rated "TV-14" or "TV-MA" under the TV Parental Guidelines
TV Parental Guidelines
The TV Parental Guidelines system was first proposed on December 19, 1996 by the United States Congress, the television industry and the Federal Communications Commission , and went into effect by January 1, 1997 on most major U.S...
, may not be broadcast. Lipinski has stated that it will provide parents, who are "the first line of defense in protecting their kids... more help". Currently, all cable television
Cable television in the United States
Cable television in the United States is a common form of television delivery, generally by subscription. Cable television first became available in the United States in 1948, with subscription services in 1949. Data by SNL Kagan shows that as of 2006 about 58.4% of all American homes subscribe to...
operators in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
provide their channels in packages without offering packages containing only educational, news, family, or sports channels.
Premise
In 2004, following the controversial Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show where performer Justin TimberlakeJustin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
caused the exposure of co-performer Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
's breast
Breast
The breast is the upper ventral region of the torso of a primate, in left and right sides, which in a female contains the mammary gland that secretes milk used to feed infants.Both men and women develop breasts from the same embryological tissues...
for two seconds, the conservative media watchdog group Parents Television Council
Parents Television Council
The Parents Television Council is a U.S. based advocacy group founded by conservative activist L. Brent Bozell III in 1995 using the National Legion of Decency as a model...
launched campaigns against indecency on television - both broadcast
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
and cable
Cable television in the United States
Cable television in the United States is a common form of television delivery, generally by subscription. Cable television first became available in the United States in 1948, with subscription services in 1949. Data by SNL Kagan shows that as of 2006 about 58.4% of all American homes subscribe to...
. The Council released in November 2004 a study documenting the significant increase sex, profanity
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
, and violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
on basic cable television channels, using this study as well as numerous future press releases and reports in their push for à la carte cable offerings. PTC President Tim Winter also wrote an article arguing that cable choice would not only benefit families, but also the general public because cable television subscribers who do not have children would also have the choice not to pay for channels for younger audiences. PTC president L. Brent Bozell III wrote a similar op-ed
Op-ed
An op-ed, abbreviated from opposite the editorial page , is a newspaper article that expresses the opinions of a named writer who is usually unaffiliated with the newspaper's editorial board...
for USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
in April 2005.
Some cable providers, such as Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
and Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
have issued "family tiers," cable packages exclusively with family-oriented channels, but the PTC criticized such packages as not catering to the interest of the PTC's constituency, as both "tiers" omitted news and sports channels (such as CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
) yet - in the case of Comcast - included such channels that the PTC deemed not "family-friendly," such as TBS for showing reruns of Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
and Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
and USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
for its reruns of Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...
and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
. Nevertheless, TBS does show programs the PTC has deemed family-friendly or inoffensive, including Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
coverage, Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond is an American television sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005. Many of the situations from the show are based on the real-life experiences of lead actor Ray Romano, creator/producer Phil Rosenthal and the show's writing staff...
, Home Improvement, and The King of Queens
The King of Queens
The King of Queens is an American sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 21, 1998, to May 14, 2007.This show was produced by Hanley Productions and CBS Productions , CBS Paramount Television ,and CBS Television Studios in association with Columbia TriStar Television , and Sony Pictures...
, while also broadcasting the PTC-banned programs Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...
and The Drew Carey Show
The Drew Carey Show
The Drew Carey Show is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from 1995 to 2004. The show was set in Cleveland, Ohio, and revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionalized version of the actor....
. In addition, USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
currently shows PTC-approved programs JAG
JAG (TV series)
JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions...
and Monk
Monk (TV series)
Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character, Adrian Monk. It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July...
. The PTC also criticized Time Warner for much of the same reasons, also claiming that "[a]ccording to Time Warner, classic movies are not appropriate for families. And neither is religious programming," referring to the omission of channels such as Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...
and The Word Network from the package. In January 2006, then-PTC president L. Brent Bozell III argued during a United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
hearing on indecency that Comcast and Time Warner "have designed these family tiers to fail, because they would like nothing better than for the family tier concept to fail so they could claim after the fact that no demand exists for a different way of doing business in the cable industry." He later went on to claim that "cable channel choice to America's families ... is the only option available that creates a real[ly] free market in the cable industry." In February of that year, the PTC praised a report by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
for supporting à la carte cable subscriptions. In July, the PTC met with Congressmen Dan Lipinski
Dan Lipinski
Daniel William Lipinski is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes much of the southwest side of Chicago, along with such suburbs as Oak Lawn and Brookfield....
and Tom Osborne to support cable choice legistlation.
Other supporting organizations for cable choice have included the American Decency Association
American Decency Association
The American Decency Association is a non-profit organization associated with the Christian right based in Fremont, Michigan. Its principal cause is against pornography and "indecent" media. The ADA was founded in 1999 by former elementary school teacher, Bill Johnson, the first-named state...
, American Family Association
American Family Association
The American Family Association is a 501 non-profit organization that promotes conservative Christian values, such as opposition to same-sex marriage, pornography, and abortion, as well as other public policy goals such as deregulation of the oil industry and lobbying against the Employee Free...
, Concerned Women for America
Concerned Women for America
Concerned Women for America is a conservative Christian public policy group active in the United States best known for its stance against abortion...
, Coral Ridge Ministries, Family Research Council
Family Research Council
The Family Research Council is a conservative or right-wing Christian group and lobbying organization formed in the United States in 1981 by James Dobson. It was fully incorporated in 1983...
, Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family is an American evangelical Christian tax-exempt non-profit organization founded in 1977 by psychologist James Dobson, and is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Focus on the Family is one of a number of evangelical parachurch organizations that rose to prominence in the 1980s...
, and Morality in Media
Morality in Media
Morality in Media, Inc. is an American non-profit organization that was established in New York in 1962. MIM seeks to raise awareness about the harms of pornography and other forms of obscenity on individuals, families and society. MIM also works through constitutional means to curb traffic in...
. Additionally, Frederick S. Lane expressed support for cable choice in his 2006 book The Decency Wars: The Campaign to Cleanse American Culture, although expressing doubt that it would make a negative impact on channels that the PTC has deemed offensive, such as MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
, claiming that those networks would continue to have plentiful viewership while religious channels would decline.
Public reception
On June 14, 2007, United States Representatives Dan LipinskiDan Lipinski
Daniel William Lipinski is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes much of the southwest side of Chicago, along with such suburbs as Oak Lawn and Brookfield....
and Jeff Fortenberry
Jeff Fortenberry
Jeffrey Lane "Jeff" Fortenberry, born December 27, 1960) is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district is based in Lincoln and includes most of the eastern third of the state outside the immediate Omaha area.-Early life, education and...
introduced the Family and Consumer Choice Act of 2007. The PTC praised their effort, citing several adult-oriented cable programs soon to be on the air such as the fourth season Rescue Me
Rescue Me (TV series)
Rescue Me is an American television drama series that premiered on the FX Network on July 21, 2004, and concluded on September 7, 2011. The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of a group of New York City firefighters in the fictitious Ladder 62 / Engine 99 firehouse.The show...
beginning on FX, The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
airing on A&E Network
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
, and Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
's "Dirty Dozen" block of its hit animated comedy series South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
, where the network would air the most profane, vulgar episodes of the series, including "The Death Camp of Tolerance
The Death Camp of Tolerance
"The Death Camp of Tolerance" is episode 93 of the Comedy Central series South Park. It was originally broadcast on November 20, 2002.-External links:* Full episode at South Park Studios* Episode guide at South Park Studios...
" and "It Hits the Fan
It Hits the Fan
"It Hits the Fan" is the first episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 66th episode of the series overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on June 20, 2001. In the episode, the word "shit" is said uncensored on television on...
".
PTC Director of Government Affairs Dan Isett, who lobbies the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) on the PTC's behalf, testified that cable choice can still benefit cable programs, citing the series finale
Made in America (The Sopranos)
"Made in America" is the twenty-first episode of the sixth season of the HBO television drama series The Sopranos and the series finale. It is the eighty-sixth overall episode of the series and the ninth episode of the second part of the sixth season, which was broadcast in two batches with a break...
of HBO's The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
that was the most-watched show on cable television on the week of its initial broadcast even though HBO was a "premium" cable network available only to subscribers who ordered it in addition to their standard cable packages. Also present during the news conference to celebrate the introduction of the bill were representatives from Concerned Women for America
Concerned Women for America
Concerned Women for America is a conservative Christian public policy group active in the United States best known for its stance against abortion...
and Consumers Union
Consumers Union
Consumers Union is a non-profit organization best known as the publisher of Consumer Reports, based in the United States. Its mission is to "test products, inform the public, and protect consumers."...
. Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
Congressman Robert Aderholt
Robert Aderholt
Robert Brown Aderholt is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district includes most of the far northern suburbs of Birmingham, as well as the southern suburbs of Huntsville and Decatur.- Early life, education and career :Aderholt was born in...
supports this bill.
The part of the bill intending to apply the FCC's broadcast indecency standards to cable television - under the bill, no television station, regardless of broadcast or cable, may air indecent content during the day - has been questioned, given that parental controls including the V-Chip
V-chip
V-chip is a generic term for technology used in television set receivers in the USA, Canada, and Brazil which allows the blocking of programs based on their ratings category. It is intended for use by parents to manage their children's television viewing...
are readily available to most parents. Religious televangelists Jerry Falwell
Jerry Falwell
Jerry Lamon Falwell, Sr. was an evangelical fundamentalist Southern Baptist pastor, televangelist, and a conservative commentator from the United States. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia...
and Pat Robertson
Pat Robertson
Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson is a media mogul, television evangelist, ex-Baptist minister and businessman who is politically aligned with the Christian Right in the United States....
have also opposed the concept of cable choice from the very beginning because they felt that viewership for their cable programs would decline.