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Press
Release
NEW RESEARCH MEASURES PARENTAL CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN'S
VIEWING AND SURFING HABITS
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 26, 2004-- Following
the infamous 2004 Super Bowl half-time show, parental sensitivity to their
children's access to TV and Internet content has increased significantly.
Research conducted on behalf of Cox Communications, Inc., reveals that
85 percent of American parents say they are concerned about the images
their children see on TV programs and web sites. Forming an alliance with
children's advocate and TV host John Walsh, Cox has launched "Take
Charge! - Smart Choices for Your Cox Digital Home" to help parents
better manage their family's mass media experience.
"Although many people want to better manage their kids' exposure
to things they find objectionable, a lack of time and knowledge often
prevents them from doing so," noted Walsh, the tireless crusader
for victims' rights and missing children and host of America's Most Wanted.
"That's why Cox's Take Charge! program provides parents with proactive,
easy-to-use tools and resources to promote safe and smart usage."
With Take Charge!, Cox wants to increase customers' awareness and use
of the parental controls and filtering tools already available in a digital
home -- on their cable TV, Internet, and telephone services. Through an
easy-to-use, comprehensive new web site (www.cox.com/takecharge) and a
free resource guide, Cox will also provide families with tools and resources
to help them not only block content they find objectionable, but identify
and get the most enjoyment out of exciting family-friendly content.
"We took a snapshot of the American mindset and gauged concerns
about the content available via broadband and digital technologies,"
said Jim Robbins, President and CEO of Cox Communications, Inc. "It
became clear that parents enjoy having so many choices for their entertainment
and news, but they want help in monitoring and making the most of the
mass media content coming into their homes. That's why we launched Take
Charge! to empower parents."
Research Findings Identify Growing Concerns
Over 30 percent of parents surveyed indicate that they are more concerned
now than before the Super Bowl half-time incident on February 1. Additional
findings of two national surveys conducted for Cox by Ketchum Global Research
Network include:
-- More than half of American parents surveyed are either
somewhat or very concerned about their children seeing images
from the war in Iraq.
-- Respondents are most concerned about the appropriateness of
online content. Outranking TV programs, movies, video games,
and print media, Internet sites were named by 40 percent of
parents as their number one concern when it comes to
inappropriate content.
-- Sexual images are considered more objectionable than other
kinds of content. When it comes to TV, 51 percent of parents
surveyed cited sexual content as most objectionable (over
violence, reality TV, and war coverage), while 56 percent
rated it as the most disturbing content on the Internet (over
spam, open chat rooms and violent images).
-- Almost all respondents believe they should be responsible for
ensuring that their children use technology appropriately, yet
they want help in doing so. In fact, 71 percent of respondents
indicated they are interested in having a printed or online
guide to help identify family-appropriate content, as well as
how to block inappropriate content.
Time to Take Charge
The Take Charge! web site (www.cox.com/takecharge) is a central repository
of helpful information. For example, almost 60 percent of parents surveyed
indicated that parental controls on cable boxes are the most valuable
monitoring tool for TV, so the site features step-by-step instructions
on activating those controls. Additional online tools include tips for
responsible Internet, TV, and telephone use; a family media usage contract;
a resource list to help identify good educational programming; links to
valuable web sites; ongoing features on protecting families; and games,
quizzes, and other fun offerings that educate children about safe usage
practices.
Public Service Announcements featuring John Walsh will be distributed
throughout Cox markets and a printed Take Charge! resource guide is available
upon request. With back-to-school time approaching, Cox cable systems
plan to launch a number of community activities throughout the fall to
educate parents, kids, and educators. Initiatives include "Cox Family
Fun Night," which will bring families together to watch positive
programming; peer video testimonials featuring students presenting information
on positive Internet content and usage tips; and educational presentations
at Family Fairs, instructional workshops, PTA meetings and other venues.
Take Charge! will also help parents teach young children and teens how
to stay safer online through Cox's new partnership with NetSmartz(R),
an interactive, educational safety resource created by the National Center
for Missing & Exploited Children(R) and Boys & Girls Clubs of
America. NetSmartz combines the newest technologies available and the
most current information to create high-impact educational activities
that are well received by even the most tech-savvy kids. NetSmartz uses
3-D animation to create characters like Clicky, Webster, and Nettie to
teach kids about online dangers using interactive games and activities.
The goal of NetSmartz is to extend the safety awareness of children to
prevent victimization and increase self-confidence whenever they go online.
Parents, guardians, educators, and law enforcement also have access to
additional resources for learning and teaching about the dangers children
may face online.
The surveys, with 1,452 total respondents, were conducted in May and
June, 2004. Additional research findings can be viewed at www.cox.com/takecharge.
About Cox Communications
Cox Communications (NYSE: COX), a Fortune 500 company, is a multi-service
broadband communications company with approximately 6.6 million total
customers, including 6.3 million basic cable subscribers. The nation's
third-largest cable television provider, Cox offers both analog cable
television under the Cox Cable brand as well as advanced digital video
service under the Cox Digital Cable brand. Cox provides an array of other
communications and entertainment services, including local and long distance
telephone under the Cox Digital Telephone brand; high-speed Internet access
under the Cox High Speed Internet brand; and commercial voice and data
services via Cox Business Services. Local cable advertising, promotional
opportunities and production services are sold under the Cox Media brand.
Cox is an investor in programming networks including Discovery Channel.
More information about Cox Communications can be accessed on the Internet
at www.cox.com.
About John Walsh
Children's advocate John Walsh has turned his passion for justice into
the nation's number-one crime-fighting show, Fox's America's Most Wanted:
America Fights Back. Touched by tragedy when his six-year-old son Adam
was abducted and murdered in 1981, John and his wife Reve turned their
grief into positive energy to help missing and exploited children. Battling
bureaucratic resistance and legislative nightmares, their work led to
the passage of the Missing Children Act of 1982 and the Missing Children
Assistance Act of 1984. The latter bill founded the National Center for
Missing & Exploited Children, which maintains a toll-free hotline
number (1-800-THE-LOST) to report missing or sexually exploited children.
Named by CBS portraits as one of the 100 Americans Who Changed History,
John Walsh's life has also been chronicled on A & E's Biography program
and MSNBC's Headliners and Legends with Matt Lauer. In 1988 he was named
the U.S. Marshals' Man of the Year, and two years later received the same
honor from the FBI, the Bureau's highest civilian award. Walsh has received
hundreds of other honors, including the 1984 Father of the Year Award
from the National Father's Day Committee and is the only private citizen
to receive a Special Recognition Award by a U.S. Attorney General.
Cox Communications, Atlanta
Bobby Amirshahi, 404-843-7872
bobby.amirshahi@cox.com
or
Shira Miller Communications
Shira Miller, 678-904-5743
shira@shiramiller.com
SOURCE: Cox Communications
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release regarding Cox Communications
Inc.'s business which are not historical facts are "forward-looking
statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion
of such risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ
from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk
Factors" in the Company's Annual Report or Form 10-K for the most
recently ended fiscal year.
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