This might be crazy, but if you have cable

[boobooday]

There's this FCC rule that was put in place in the early days of cable that if any subscriber objects to any channel in their cable package, the cable company is required to block it.

This was in response to the Playboy channel, and the outrage of some parents at finding their adolescents staring at the scrambled screen (listening to the breathing and moaning).

Anyway, this would be a great way to protest Fox News Channel, wouldn't it? What would the advertisers think if millions of people REFUSED to even allow the channel to come into their homes?

I don't know what the procedure is (I can't get cable where I live) but ever since I learned of this rule, I've been thinking about this as a form of protest . . .

[ClassWarrior]

1. Great minds and all that. Check this site...

http://foxblocker.com/

And spread the word!!

NGU.

[boobooday]

4. OH YEAH!

Cool. I'll be linking to this site.

Thanks. :hi:

[Radio_Lady]

11. The site is for sale from May, 2005 -- and not much activity since then!

This Site For Sale!
Written by Joshua Montgomery
Thursday, 05 May 2005
The staff at Mokipoke Enterprises are all volunteers working to build a better tomorrow for America. As such this project has gotten a little to big for us.

We would like to see FOXBlocker.com go to a good home, to someone who will take care of it and promote it right. If you are interested in taking over our operation, please contact us and make us an offer.

The sale includes the website, the brand name, the domain name and all of the remaining FOXBlocker inventory (30 or so T-Shirts, 100 bumper stickers, and 100 or so FOXBlockers).

Serious offers only.

Joshua Montgomery
support(at)foxblocker.com
Last Updated ( Thursday, 05 May 2005 )

[boobooday]

12. Whoa

I wonder what's up with that?

He doesn't say how much . . . I suppose it's one of those "if you have to ask" kinda things . . .

[Neecy]

2. I'll do some research on this...

I would LOVE to ask Murdoch's DirecTv to block Faux because I find it offensive.

[liveoaktx]

3. I think you can... on Dish/Sat anyway, there's a menu option

for blocking channels. Fox is completely blocked on our television (You'd have to go into the system menu with a password to change it) and I'm fixing to add CNN to it. I'd block MSNBC too except for Olbermann.

[boobooday]

7. You can block at your point of reception

But making the cable company block could cause the cable companies big problems too. They only went along with the rule because they didn't believe very many people would actually make them do it.

If there were enough people demanding that it be blocked, it might become unprofitable to even include them in the standard package . . .

I wonder if the satellite companies can see or collect data on which channels their subscribers block?

[Initech]

8. I know how to do it on Dish Network

1. Push the "*" key (ha!).

2. It should bring up an options menu.

3. Select "Add / Delete Channels". (should be option #4)

4. Click on channel #205 (Fox News).

5. Go back to the main menu.

6. Click on "Options" (should be option #7 or #8).

7. Click "Disable blocked channels" (should be option #2 or #4).

8. Cancel out of the main menu until you're back to the television screen.

Done!

[Dr.Phool]

16. Oh boy!!! I can block out all those home improvement channels

My wife watches them all the time, and finds lots of shit for me to do.

Sayonara HGTV

[FlaGranny]

18. You'd better be careful there

Dr. Phool, next thing we know, we'll be hearing about your "accident" with the rolling pin.

[dmr]

24. ROFL - I'm still laughing

:)

[helderheid]

5. K& R!!

[funflower]

6. Anybody know how the "V-chip" works?

[bleedingheart]

9. mundane at best...won't hit them hard enough in their pocketbooks

for years I have tried to tell people that a mass protest of the cable TV system would be the best way to get better content, cheaper prices...etc but people aren't willing to sacrifice long enough to see it through...

If the average consumer spends $50 a month on cable TV ...imagine if 1000 customers from one county just called in one day and said..."Cancel my cable...come turn it off...I am sick of Fox News...)...That is $50,000 in lost revenue in one month alone... Now imagine if you could get 100,000 people in a state...or perhaps 1,000,000 people in the "blue" states and the "blue areas of the red states" ...to just tell the cable company to stick it up their collective ass?

Now that is a message...and if we are smart we package it as

1. Anti-Fox (biased news)
2. Protest of poor content (most channels are pure crap)
3. Protest of the hideous cable increase...

[Cleita]

10. If we can this could be revolutionary. Besides the Faux, I

would want all five religious stations that I now get blocked too.

[boobooday]

13. It will be difficult for the cable companies

I really think it costs them some money to block the channels.

They are not prepared for that.

And blocking TBN, etc., only makes the protest more effective!

[eek]

17. no kidding. shopping, religious, faux..

i hate that we have to pay for all that crap but i'd have to pay extra to get ifc

i'd ditch Slime/Harmer altogether but for HBO.

[Poppyseedman]

14. How about just not watching Faux? It would have the same effect.

That remote control really makes it easy :evilgrin:

[boobooday]

19. Actually, it doesn't

Unless you are a Nielson Family. They don't know you aren't watching.

Unless you call their advertisers to complain.

[Swamp Rat]

15. It didn't work

Some of us (when I was a kid) figured out how to unscramble the sex channels. ;) :D

[boobooday]

20. It was kids like you who inspired the law!

Way to go! ;)

[meisje]

21. Many Duers appear addicted to cable news

[inchhigh]

22. Blocked in my house

I asked my cable company to block it about a year ago and cc'd the e-mail request to Fox, Fox News and a list of their biggest advertisers.

[FreedomAngel82]

23. Sure if that's a way you want to do it

I just don't watch their talk shows. I still watch fox for other programs like the "Simpsons" for example. :) There was a guy a while back who created a "fox blocker." Try googling for it.