Smart Television Alliance Asks "Feature Films For Families" To Stop Using Its Name
Feature Films For Families—the company that's been phone-spamming random people over the past few weeks—follows no man's law! The nonprofit Smart Television Alliance, which works to educate parents on how to improve the television experience for kids*, discovered that the company was using its name without permission.
Here's the official statement from the Smart Television Alliance.
Statement regarding telephone solicitation by Feature Films for Families Inc. and Corporation for Character, both of Murray, Utah
(February 26, 2009, Washington, DC) The Smart Television Alliance is a collaboration of major nonprofit organizations united to promote parental control of children's television viewing at home through the use of technology and by encouraging smart viewing choices as part of a healthy and balanced media lifestyle. The Smart Television Alliance sent a Cease and Desist letter to Feature Films for Families Inc. and Corporation for Character Inc. of Murray, Utah after learning that "Smart Television Alliance" and the names of some of our participating organizations were being used without permission. In a written response, Feature Films for Families/Corporation for Character indicated that the company and its related entities would immediately cease using our name. The Smart Television Alliance has not and does not intend to engage in telephone solicitation of any kind.
For further questions or concerns, please contract info@SmartTelevisionAlliance.org
Learn more about the Smart Television Alliance by visiting our website: www.SmartTelevisionAlliance.org
Christopher M. Turman IV
Senior Vice President
National Strategies, Inc.
919 18th Street, NW 10th Floor
Washington, DC 20006
Note: For the record, while the Smart Television Alliance looks like a perfectly decent and respectable outfit, their big sponsor is Tivo (it's stated clearly on the front page) and they strongly push for using a DVR as a way to control television watching. We're all for DVRs and the control they give you over your television programming, but we just think that in the interest of transparency you should know this.
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Comments:
"Feature Films for Families" has been harassing our grandmother for months. They send the films for her to "review". It is not just Velveteen Rabbit. You should check out the borderline-racist one "No More Baths." Wow!
I'm literally falling out of my chair laughing right now. I decided to google no more baths because I wanted to see what you were talking about, and the IMDB page has a nice little user review on it from an anonymous poster in Utah that gave it 10/10 stars and says how great it is, yet the average rating is 4.7. Two other reviews (the only reviewers) gave it 9/10.
Maybe they're hardcore mormons, maybe they just hate to take baths, but in all likelihood, I'm guessing these are more fake reviews. Yay!
@Corey Eubanks: Sounds like a movie that my two dogs would like. No more baths! Yay! Scooter over there is happydog.
@trujunglist: After googling it, I found the product page with reviews from the feature films site. [www.familytv.com]I like the 1-star review from the lady that says that it teaches rebellion and no matter what that's wrong. Wrong, I say!
How far over the religious edge can you be when you don't let your kids watch religious movies?
@jacques: That review's gotta be fake. Or I guess that crazy lady believes that you shouldn't teach kids the Bible either. I mean, there's rebellion in the Bible too. It's a small step from "leading the chosen people out of Egypt" to "disregarding parental authority", right?
@RedSonSuperDave: In the entire known history of mankind, nobody has ever used the expression "respect authority" without actually meaning "respect MY authority"...
@Corey Eubanks: IIRC Feature Films for Families is either backed by the Mormon church or is owned by Mormons.
I grew up Baptist and I always wondered why my parents actually bought some of those films...
@jamar0303: On that road myself actually. And the best part is, the machine will not only have signifigantly more capacity than any available off-the-shelf DVR, it will also do music, Blu-Ray, HD-DVD, and DVD, and be capable of at least modestly demanding modern games.
Just need to get my video card and tuner cards, and a couple tidbits like cables and fans, and I'll be able to get it rolling.
My wife and I each have had some pretty heated phone calls with these Feature Films for Families yahoos. Each time they accused us of not thinking about the welfare of our child when we declined their, in our opinion useless, service.
When asked if we would like to join the service or whatever, we declined stating we felt we were more than capable of pre-screening movies and deciding that we would trust our own instincts rather than depend on a faceless corporation to tell us what was suitable for our daughter.
Goodness, did they take offense.
Wanna bet that "Feature Films For Families" goes quietly out of business due to "bankrupcy" then resurfaces with their HQ in Florida; the scam capitol of the U.S. ?
I have had my rounds with Feature Films for Families. For months they have been calling me and waking me up. Repeatedly I told them to stop. Today was the last straw. I called the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) and filed a complaint. 1-877-382-4357. It is a $1,000 fine each time they call after you tell them to stop. I emailed the Utah Better Business Bureau @ utah.app.bbb.org and filed a complaint. I called Matt Cooper at (801)284-7242 who is their "customer contact." He was very surprised and said "I don't know how you got through to me . . ." He DID call me back today to acknowledge and apologize for the calls saying they have now removed me from their calling list. This is their normal business practice. The web is full of complaints about them. Do not hesitate to take the measures I have done. In fact, I encourage you. Feature Films for Families Inc. DBA Family Feature Films, Visiplex Family Entertainment, and My Family Explorer CEO is Forrest Baker Customer Contact Manager Matt Cooper (801)284-7242, or (801)284-7286 Fax (801)284-7313 Email mattc@familytv.com Address 5286 Commerce Dr. #A-116 Salt Lake City, UT 84107-4712
Yeah, a DVR is nice, when you don't have to rent it extra from your cable provider or pay for TiVo service in and of itself.