MEMORIAL FOR DR. JOSEPH N. JACKSON, INVENTOR OF PROGRAMMABLE TV REMOTE, TO BE OFFICIATED BY JAMES CANNON

Visionary behind parental control technology and V-Chip precursor to be laid to rest at historic Inglewood Park Cemetery.

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The family of Dr. Joseph N. Jackson (1937–2025) and FemChoice Technology LLC announced today the memorial service for the pioneering Black inventor of the programmable television remote control. The service will be officiated by American televangelist, author, and philanthropist James Cannon , widely known as the father of entertainer Nick Cannon, who will also deliver the eulogy.

Dr. Jackson, an Army veteran and former city commissioner, passed away in August 2025. His groundbreaking work in the 1970s laid the foundation for the parental content controls now standard in every American home. The public memorial will be held on Friday, September 5, 2025, at 2:00 PM PST at Grace Memorial Chapel in Inglewood, followed by interment at Inglewood Park Cemetery.

Years before the U.S. government mandated the V-Chip, Dr. Jackson invented and patented the "Programmable Television Receiver Controller" (U.S. Patent 4,095,114) in 1978. Marketed as the TeleCommander , his device was the first to offer programmable, time-based channel blocking.

"Every time a parent uses a remote to block inappropriate content, they are using technology pioneered by Joseph Jackson," said his nephew, Don Jackson , Vice President of FemChoice Technology LLC. "He was a quiet genius who believed technology should serve and protect families. His work on the TeleCommander proved it was possible."

Dr. Jackson will be interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery ( https://www.inglewoodparkcemetery.org ), the resting place of American icons including Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles. The cemetery will feature his gravesite in its "Historic Figures and Innovators Tour," cementing his legacy as a key figure in technology and Black innovation history .

His later work focused on health technology, leading to the creation of the Fem-Choice MD, a biorhythmic fertility prediction device. Through FemChoice Technology LLC ( https://femchoice.app ), he dedicated his later years to empowering women with scientific data for informed reproductive health decisions.

MEMORIAL SERVICE DETAILS:

• Who: Family, friends, and the public honoring Dr. Joseph N. Jackson
• What: Memorial Service and Interment
• When: Friday, September 5, 2025, at 2:00 PM PST
• Where: Grace Memorial Chapel & Funeral Home, 3443 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood, CA 90305
• Interment: Inglewood Park Cemetery (immediately following service)
• Officiant: James Cannon, American televangelist and philanthropist

The Jackson family requests privacy during this time of mourning.

MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Family members and eulogist James Cannon will be available for limited interviews following the memorial service. High-resolution images of Dr. Jackson, the TeleCommander patent, and historical photos are available upon request.

Media Contact: Don Jackson, [email protected], 310-779-9588 

About FemChoice Technology LLC
Dr. Joseph N. Jackson (1937–2025) was a visionary Black inventor, U.S. Army veteran, and former Hawthorne City Commissioner whose pioneering work fundamentally reshaped how families interact with technology. His most notable invention, the "Programmable Television Receiver Controller" (U.S. Patent 4,095,114), patented in 1978 and marketed as the TeleCommander, represented the world's first programmable television remote control with time-based channel blocking capabilities. This groundbreaking technology served as the direct precursor to the V-Chip system that would later become mandatory in all U.S. televisions, establishing Dr. Jackson as the forefather of modern parental content controls. Through FemChoice Technology LLC, which he founded later in life, Dr. Jackson continued his mission of creating technology that serves and protects families. The company's flagship product, the Fem-Choice MD, reflects his innovative spirit in the health technology sector—a biorhythmic fertility prediction device designed to empower women with scientific data for informed reproductive health decisions. Dr. Jackson's legacy spans multiple technological domains, from entertainment and child safety to women's health, consistently demonstrating his belief that technology should empower individuals and strengthen families.
FemChoice Technology LLC continues to honor Dr. Jackson's vision by developing ethical technologies that provide individuals with data-driven solutions for important life decisions, carrying forward his commitment to innovation that serves humanity.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Don Jackson
FemChoice Technology LLC
[email protected]
310-779-9588

SOURCE FemChoice