TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board Releases Annual Report Detailing 2020 Activities

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board (Monitoring Board) today released its annual report detailing activities undertaken by the Monitoring Board throughout the 2020 calendar year. The annual report summarizes efforts to raise awareness of the TV Parental Guidelines and ensure consistent and accurate application of the TV ratings across networks and programs. 

"During a challenging year with many newfound obstacles for families, the Monitoring Board remained as dedicated as ever to providing valuable information for parents about the content and age-appropriateness of TV programs," said Michael Powell, president and CEO of NCTA – The Internet & Television Association and 2020 chair of the Monitoring Board. "This annual report encapsulates the tremendous efforts of our industry professionals and public interest representatives to encourage greater awareness and use of the TV Parental Guidelines and address public comments."

Detailed in the pages of the annual report is a summary of Monitoring Board activities completed in 2020. These include:

1. Completion of a biennial survey of parental sentiment towards and awareness of the TV ratings system. More than three-fifths of parents surveyed stated that their children are spending more time watching broadcast and cable TV shows, and 95 percent of parents said they are satisfied with the accuracy of the TV ratings.
2. Implementation of spot check reviews of the TV ratings system. As part of the spot check, groups reviewed programming on the TV networks to ensure accurate and consistent use of TV ratings. This process will continue in 2021.
3. Creation of a task force to review how TV ratings are utilized on video streaming services and to more formally engage with streaming services about their ratings. The task force will meet quarterly throughout 2021.

"While some of our anticipated activities for the year had to be suspended or changed due to circumstances outside of our control, I am proud that the Monitoring Board was able to move ahead on these key priorities," added Powell. "These activities reaffirmed that the TV ratings for broadcast and cable programming remain accurate, and parents continue to have highly favorable views about the TV Parental Guidelines. The Monitoring Board stands ready to build on these initiatives and continue to provide parents with useful information as to the content and age-appropriateness of television programming."

Effective Jan. 1, 2021, Charles Rivkin, chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association, succeeded Powell as chair of the Monitoring Board. Rivkin will serve a two-year term as Monitoring Board chair.

For a downloadable copy of the annual report, please visit the TV Parental Guidelines website at www.tvguidelines.org.

About the TV Parental Guidelines
The TV Parental Guidelines were created in 1996 to help parents monitor and control what their children watch on the increasing number of TV channels available in American homes each day. Designed by leading organizations of the TV industry to give parents more information about the age-appropriateness and content of TV programs, the Guidelines, modeled after the familiar movie ratings, are easily recognizable and easy to use. They apply to most television programs, including those geared towards young children. The TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board is responsible for overseeing the TV Parental Guidelines and for ensuring uniformity and consistency in the application of the Guidelines. The Board is comprised of up to 24 members from the broadcast and cable television industries, as well as the program production and public interest communities. The Board of Directors consists of the chief executive officers of the Motion Picture Association (MPA), NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). For more information, please visit www.tvguidelines.org.

SOURCE TV Parental Guidelines