Cable Regulations

The New York Times is running an article entitled, "F.C.C. Planning Rules to Open Cable Market." The article begins, "The Federal Communications Commission is preparing to impose significant new regulations to open the cable television market to independent programmers and rival video services after determining that cable companies have become too dominant in the industry, senior commission officials said." The article states, "How dominant the cable industry is has been a matter of dispute. The largest cable companies say they are under increasing competition from the satellite and telephone companies. But commission officials and consumer groups say that the large cable companies dominate the marketplace. They cite as evidence the fact that cable rates have risen significantly faster than inflation."

Read the Article!!

Discussion Starters for Younger Children

• Ask students to identify their favorite television channels. Ask them why they like these channels. Inform students that at one time very few television channels existed. Many cities only had three channels. Ask students if they'd prefer to have many television channels to choose from or just a few. Encourage them to explain their thoughts.
  
• Ask students to write the word "Choice" across the top of a piece of paper. Now ask them to write a word that begins with each of the letters in the word "choice."
  
• Ask students to imagine that they could make their own television channel. What shows would they put on their television channel? Do they think that other people might like this channel, as well? Why/why not? How do they think that their channel would differ from their parents' channel(s)?
  
• Ask students to interview their parents, asking what shows their parents would put on a television station if they could develop their own station.
  
• If students owned their own television channel do they think it would be fair for a police officer to tell them what shows they could put on the channel and what shows they could not put on the channel. Why/why not? Do students think it's OK for people to tell television channels what shows they want to watch and what shows they don't want to watch? Why/why not? How might people tell channels what shows they want to watch?
  
• Consider writing a collaborative class letter to a television station in either support or against the airing of a specific television show.
  
• Do students think it's better for people to watch television or to play outside? Do they think it's better for people to watch television or to play on the computer? Do they think it's better for people to play outside or to play on the computer? Encourage them to explain their thoughts. Do students think it's possible to learn things by watching television? Why/why not?
  
• Students might compare one or more of these options with a T-Chart.
  

Discussion Starters for Older Students

• Vocabulary terms to discuss: Open; Deregulatory; Uniform; and, Conglomerate.
  
• Do students think it's necessary for the Federal Communications Commission (F.C.C.) to regulate the cable television industry? Why/why not? Do students think it would make sense for the F.C.C. to require every city to have at least three different companies that provide cable television? Why/why not? Do students think it would make sense to allow anybody to run a television station and broadcast whatever they wanted to broadcast? Why/why not?
  
• Ask students to respond to these questions in persuasive essays. The purpose of the essay might be to define a line at which point the government should regulate television.
  
• Ask students to define the term "economic choice." In what ways, if any, do students think that economic choice benefits society? In what ways, if any, do students think that economic choice hinders society? Ask students why they think that some societies limit economic choice while others encourage it.
• Students might develop graphic organizers demonstrating the influence that economic choice has on society.
  
• Thirty five years ago the cable industry did not exist. Do students think that the cable industry will exist in another thirty five years? Why/why not? In what ways will broadcast networks be different in thirty five years than they are today? Encourage students to explain their thoughts.
  
• These questions might prompt an interesting class discussion.