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 NEWS  News  media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  TTY  202  /  418-  2  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  ftp.  fcc.  gov  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974). 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE:  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACT: 
 September  5,  2001  Paul  Gallant  at  (202)  418-  2300 


 FCC  RECEIVES  “KERMIT  THE  FROG”  IMAGE  FOR  USE  IN  V-  CHIP  AWARENESS  CAMPAIGN 


 The  FCC’s  V-  Chip  Task  Force  is  very  pleased  to  acknowledge  the  Hallmark  Channel’s 
 contribution  to  the  campaign  to  increase  awareness  of  the  V-  Chip.  The  Hallmark  Channel,  in 
 association  with  The  Jim  Henson  Company,  has  donated  the  Kermit  the  Frog  image  to  the  FCC  for 
 use  in  a  promotional  campaign  to  bring  attention  to  the  availability  of  the  V-  Chip. 


 Commissioner  Gloria  Tristani  has  chaired  the  FCC’s  V-  Chip  Task  Force  since  its  creation  in 
 May  of  1999.  With  regard  to  the  gift  of  the  Kermit  the  Frog  image,  Commissioner  Tristani  said, 
 "The  V-  Chip  is  a  very  important  tool  that  allows  parents  to  easily  filter  out  programs  that  are 
 inappropriate  for  their  children.  The  critical  next  step  for  the  V-  Chip  is  creating  greater  awareness 
 among  parents  of  the  V-  Chip  technology  and  the  ratings  system  for  television  programming.  My 
 goal  is  to  educate  and  inform  as  many  families  as  possible  about  the  V-  Chip  technology  and  ratings 
 system.  The  Hallmark  Channel  and  The  Jim  Henson  Company  have  helped  broaden  the  reach  of 
 the  V-  Chip  initiative  through  the  gift  of  the  Kermit  the  Frog  image  on  the  FCC  V-  Chip  brochure. 
 These  companies  have  done  a  true  public  service,  and  I  commend  them  for  their  commitment  to 
 America’s  families.” 


 The  V-  Chip  is  a  small  device  in  every  television  set  13  inches  or  larger  that  has  been  sold  in 
 the  United  States  since  January  1,  2000.  The  V-  Chip  operates  by  reading  a  code  containing  a 
 program  rating  that  is  delivered  via  the  programming  to  the  television  set.  If  the  V-  Chip  is 
 programmed  by  parents,  it  will  block  television  programming  with  a  particular  rating.  In  this  way, 
 the  V-  Chip  enables  parents  to  block  programming  that  they  believe  is  inappropriate  for  their 
 children. 


 For  more  information  about  the  V-  Chip  and  the  voluntary  television  ratings  system,  please 
 visit  the  FCC’s  website  at:  www.  fcc.  gov/  vchip. 


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