News Release
V-chip inventor says, "The time for talk is over - we need action now."
TEN YEARS AFTER BRUTAL MASSACRE THAT PROMPTED HIS V-CHIP
INVENTION,
TIM COLLINGS ANSWERS PRESIDENT CLINTON'S CALL FOR ACTION
FOLLOWING COLORADO SCHOOL SHOOTING TRAGEDY
MONDAY, APRIL 26, 1999 - VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA - Ten
years after the tragic massacre of 14 female engineering students in Montreal, Canada that prompted his invention of the v-chip technology, award winning Canadian Engineer, Tim Collings, echoes recent calls for action to stem increasing incidences of violence in society.
"I am deeply saddened that we are seeing such horrific acts of violence in our schools," Collings said. "These senseless and deplorable acts reaffirm my personal commitment to bringing the v-chip to parents
around the world to shield children from violent images on television." As a father of three school-age
daughters, Collings said the events in Colorado struck terror in his heart.
"The time for talk is over - we need action now," Collings said. "The increasing frequency and level of
violence associated with these tragic events brings to the fore the urgent need for all of us, whether
legislators, educators, businesses or parents, to take responsibility for quickly implementing the tools
that are available today to protect our children."
In a statement following the Colorado shootings, President Clinton commented that "parents should take
this moment to ask what else they can do to shield our children from violent images and experiences
that warp young perceptions and obscure the consequences of violence."
In an interview last week on CNN’s Larry King Live, U.S. Vice President Al Gore underscored the
need to pay more attention to the problem of excessive violence in the media and enforce the
restrictions that are already in place and move more rapidly on the "v-chip proposal". Gore added, "You
exert more moral pressure on those who are not yet participating in the proposal and you speed up the
introduction of this technology."
Collings stated that the v-chip is not the only answer, just one more step in the right direction. "This
problem is a multi-facetted one," he said. "So not only do we need to pay more attention to the problem
of excessive violence in the media and enforce existing v-chip requirements, we must move more rapidly
to educate our children that violence is not an option to resolve conflict or express anger."
"The technology has been available for some time now and it would appear we need to educate parents
more about what the v-chip is and how it can help them." Collings added, "I am committed to work with
the U.S. Administration, advocacy groups, and the television industry to assist with educating parents
and broadening the awareness of the availability of this powerful tool. These terrible events show us that
exposing our children to a diet of violent programming can have profoundly devastating results."
"I urge parents to demand that governments, broadcasters and TV manufacturers provide more
comprehensive TV ratings systems and support the availability of the tools, like the v-chip, to protect our
children."
Collings’ V-gis™ v-chip technology provides a means of controlling the quality and content of
television programming entering the home by blocking or selecting television programs based on
content. This means that television shows can be selected based on prescribed ratings as well as
varying levels of violence, sex, language and dialogue.
Collings V-gis™ v-chip technology is currently available to major television manufacturers for inclusion in
new TVs and a set-top v-chip unit was launched in U.S. stores last October by Tri-Vision International
Ltd. (T.TVL) of Toronto, Canada for use by parents with existing TVs. Information on Tim Collings’
v-chip technology can be found on the Internet at www.tri-vision.ca.
Sent by: Blair Qualey
Senior Vice President
Century Communications Corporation
509-318 Homer Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 2V3
Canada
Website: www.centurycommunic.com
E-mail: qualey@centurycommunic.com
Tel: [604] 664-3710
Direct Tel: [604] 664-3713
Fax: [604] 664-8960
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