TV Parental Guidelines Releases First Annual Report
WASHINGTON, Jan. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board (Monitoring Board) today released its first-ever annual report detailing activities undertaken by the Monitoring Board throughout 2019 to increase awareness of the TV Parental Guidelines and ensure that TV ratings were applied on a consistent basis across networks and programs.
"I am pleased to publish this annual report as part of the Monitoring Board's ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability," said Michael Powell, president and CEO of NCTA – The Internet & Television Association and current chair of the Monitoring Board. "The annual report encapsulates the tremendous efforts of our industry professionals and public interest representatives to encourage greater awareness and use of the TV rating system and address public input. As we look ahead to next year, the Monitoring Board stands ready to build on the initiatives it undertook in 2019 as we continue to help parents make informed decisions about what programs are suitable for their children."
Detailed in the pages of the annual report is a summary of all Monitoring Board activities completed in 2019. Among these efforts were the launch of the new, mobile-friendly website in both English and Spanish, the rebrand of the TV Parental Guidelines logo, the publication of a revised and downloadable fact sheet, the reestablishment of a telephone line for viewer feedback and the creation of downloadable web stickers. The Monitoring Board also had an enhanced presence at 2019 National PTA Convention and Expo, participated in a Back-to-School messaging effort, completed an interview with Call for Action and the tested a process to internally assess whether television programs are receiving accurate and consistent ratings across different networks. Ongoing correspondence with viewers to address questions and complaints about the TV ratings system and an annual meeting of the Monitoring Board rounded out 2019 activities.
In late 2018, Congress requested that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issue a report evaluating (1) whether TV programming is accurately rated, and (2) whether the Monitoring Board has proven capable of overseeing the ratings system and responding to any public concerns. After reviewing extensive feedback in response to a call for public comment, the FCC released its report to the public on May 16, 2019. As part of its report, the FCC recommended that the Monitoring Board take steps to promote public awareness of the TV ratings and to be more transparent about the Monitoring Board's work. The Monitoring Board took this feedback extremely seriously and, among many steps taken to respond to the FCC, published this annual report.
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 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 of America (MPAA), NCTA – The Internet & Television Association, and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). For more information, please visit www.tvguidelines.org.
SOURCE TV Parental Guidelines
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