TV Parental Controls FAQs

What is a V-chip?
The V-chip is a television receiver which can block certain programs based on their rating categories. All U.S. televisions created after 1999 are required to have this technology. The term is generic and it applies to many different devices.
What was the Telecommunications Act of 1996?
This was the first overhaul of telecommunications law in the U.S. after about 62 years. It was signed into law on February 8 of 1996 by Bill Clinton. It addressed many different topics divided into seven different Titles. The fifth Title, Obscenity and Violence, outlines regulations related to such programming on cable television.
What is passive vocabulary?
These are words that a child can understand although her or she cannot yet utilize it. For instance, you can say, “Push the button” to a child about the television or radio and he or she will be able to understand the command long before being able to utter it.