People will understand the PSAs once they’ve seen them several times, Valenti said. “The sheer repetitive force of this thing will have a major effect,” he told us. The ads may display thetvboss.org address longer, he said: “We could probably do it instead of 3 or 4 seconds for 8 seconds… Anything that heralds the websites.” Such spots may help avoid more rules, a consultant said. “It’s a very tough war to win, and the industry and parents will need to keep up consistent efforts,” Carmel Group’s Jimmy Schaeffler said: “But I agree: Avoid government regulations at most costs.”

But hotly contested is how much the TV landscape has changed since the FTC killed the proposed Hughes-EchoStar merger in 2002, and whether video competition from telcos will be enough to convince Washington of the acceptability of a DBS merger. Many in the satellite industry are skeptical, saying antitrust and political issues are even more complicated than they were 4 years ago. “Yes, the tide is turning, but not quickly enough to get this through quickly. This is something that probably needs to wait another 3-5 years,” said Carmel Group’s Jimmy Schaeffler.