Samsung distributing V-CHIP
Tri-Vision Hails Pivotal FCC Announcement
Business Wire - March 13, 1998 16:17
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 1998--As a result of yesterday's pivotal
decisions and announcements made by Federal Communication Commission (FCC) officials
and Congressional leaders, the v-chip will be available this Spring to help U.S. parents
manage the TV programs their children watch in the home.
This is to coincide with the encoding of television broadcast programs with the TV rating
system, which is necessary to enable use of this proprietary v-chip V-gis(TM) technology,
invented by Tri-Vision International Ltd./Ltee Director Tim Collings.
After attending the FCC's announcement, as well as Congressman Ed Markey's (D-MA)
press conference in Washington, D.C. yesterday, Tim Collings said, "We applaud the tireless
efforts of Congressman Ed Markey, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and all the other U.S.
officials who have championed this cause on behalf of America's families. This is a day we had
only dared to dream about and we are proud to be a part of it for the benefit of the nation's
children."
The FCC yesterday approved the TV Parental Guidelines, the television program ratings
system designed specifically for the v-chip. The FCC also adopted the technical requirements
for consumer electronic equipment which had been developed by a sub-committee of the
Electronics Industry Association with the help of Tim Collings.
In addition, the FCC announced it is requiring that manufacturers include v-chip technology on
at least half of their product models sold in the U.S. with a picture screen 13 inches or greater
by July 1, 1999, and the remaining half by January 1, 2000.
Following the announcements, the "father of the v-chip law" Congressman Senator Ed
Markey said, "The (television) industry has indicated its full intent to encode TV signals with
the ratings promptly - within 30 days in some cases, and in no less than 90 days in all cases."
"We are very pleased with the positive and significant messages and decisions that the FCC
has delivered," said Najmul Siddiqui, Tri-Vision's President & C.E.O. "The FCC has set the
stage for Tri-Vision to move to the next phase in its growth and ramp up its product marketing
efforts."
Tim Collings and Tri-Vision have taken all best-efforts to protect the technology developed by
Mr. Collings. Patent applications in the United States were submitted to the United States
Patent & Trademark Office in June and December of 1996. The normal turnaround time
between application for a patent and issuance of a patent is three years. Tri-Vision has
retained a major patent counsel in the United States which has performed an infringement
analysis on the Company's behalf. The Company is confident that patents with respect to its
technology will issue.
Tri-Vision has signed distribution agreements with two major, leading distributors Ingram
Entertainment Inc. and Telewire Supply Division of ANTEC Corporation (NASDAQ:ANTC)
to deliver its V-gis(TM) set-top box v-chip products to U.S. consumers.
Important to parents, V-gis(TM) technology is as easy to use as an ATM providing on-screen
instructions to walk parents through the selection of programming suitable to the needs of their
family. Uniquely, it can block or select television programs based on content. This means that
shows can be selected based on varying levels of violence, sex, language and dialog which can
be important when children of different ages are in the home.
"It's the parents new, best friend." said Najmul Siddiqui. "As a passive, programmable device
it relies upon their wisdom and standards to enable it."
Tri-Vision International Ltd./Ltee. holds the exclusive global rights to the v-chip
technology, V-gis(TM), invented by award-winning Canadian engineer Tim Collings.
Tri-Vision is a publicly-held company founded in 1986 and trades on Canada's Alberta Stock
Exchange under the symbol TVL.
For more information contact Century Communications Corporation at [888] 298-8551 (toll
free) or by e-mail to tri-vision@tri-vision.ca or visit Tri-Vision's Internet site at
"http://www.tri-vision.ca".
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Tri-Vision International Ltd./Ltee., Najmul H.
Siddiqui, Chairman, President & CEO [416-298-8551]. |
