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US cable companies to offer family-friendly packages
MUMBAI: Leading cable companies in the US like Time Warner and Comcast are planning to offer family-friendly programming packages early next year, thus giving parents a new way to protect children from televised cursing, sex and violence.
The move has come in response to the pressure from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) which is stepping up its push for curbs on indecency.
FCC chairman Kevin Martin has been pushing the industry to give consumers greater control over television programming and has laid out several options, including family-friendly packages. In case this wasn’t done, Martin said that they had to agree to indecency standards or agree to provide all channels individually.
He, however, praised the cable industry’s move saying,”For several years, I have been urging the cable and satellite industry to give parents additional tools to help them address the increasing amount of coarse programming on television. Offering a family-friendly package has always been one of the options I supported. I am pleased that some cable companies may respond to consumer demand and begin to voluntarily offer family tiers.”
“I look forward to hearing more about the details of their plans and hope that it will provide parents with real options to address parents’ legitimate concerns with having to purchase programming that they believe is unsuitable for their children,” Martin was quoted in media reports.
According to media reports, Time Warner and Comcast are among six American cable-TV companies that plan to offer packages of family-friendly programs.
“They intend to offer family-friendly tiers in the near future. The programs will be offered only on digital-cable. Advance/Newhouse Communications, Insight Communications, Midcontinent Communications and Bresnan Communications also plan to offer programming geared toward families,” National Cable & Telecommunications Association president Kyle McSlarrow was quoted in media reports as saying.
Among other cable operators considering the family option is Atlanta-based Cox Communications.
“We want to give people the ability in the home to control the viewing, see anything they want to see as adults and, surely, to protect their children from any content that is unsuitable,” McSlarrow is reported to have told the leaders of the Senate Commerce Committee.
He also said that the decisions on pricing and which kid-friendly networks would be included in those packages would be up to the individual cable companies.
The price for these “family-choice tiers” and the channels included would vary among providers, McSlarrow informed. However, it is still uncertain how each company will decide what channels are suitable for a family package.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
