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A 15-year failure? Parents Television Council says TV content ratings are flawed

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By Jamshid Ghazi Askar, Deseret News

Published: Thursday, Oct. 18 2012 3:36 p.m. MDT

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Summary

Parents are strongly urged to exercise greater care in monitoring this program and are cautioned against letting children under 14 watch unattended.

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  • TV-PG rating fails to protect children, new study shows

The current, six-tiered ratings for TV content will turn 15 years old on Jan. 1.

In advance of that anniversary, Parents Television Council voiced its displeasure with the current system in a two-page letter to every member of Congress. Dated Sept. 19, that letter reads in part, “January 2013 will mark the 15-year anniversary of the initial proposal by the television industry of the existing system for rating television programming to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). After 15 years of a poorly conceived, poorly executed, poorly overseen system, it is time to give American families more tools and more choices to contain the flow of objectionable entertainment content entering their homes. … The television content rating system is in urgent need of substantial reform.”

For her part, Henson is no fan of the existing rating system — and yet she also acknowledges it might be the best option moving forward because “it took many years for parents to feel comfortable and aware of the current rating system, and there was a very low rate of adoption and utility with the existing rating system.” She advocates for an oversight mechanism to augment the current ratings system wherein an independent auditor or industry board could hold broadcasters responsible for the ratings they dole out.

The worst possible outcome, Henson explains, would be to do nothing.

“Since the advent of the TV rating system, the rate at which TV has grown coarser has consistently accelerated, and I think they’re using the ratings as cover,” she said. “They’re essentially saying, ‘Hey, we warned you it was going to be there — so if your kid saw something you didn’t want them to see, that’s your fault, not ours.’

“We can’t allow that to happen; we need to push back on the industry to not just label the offensive content, but to dial back the offensive content.”

J.G. Askar is a graduate of BYU's J. Reuben Clark Law School and member of the Utah State Bar. Contact him at jaskar@desnews.com or 801-236-6051.

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Featured Comments

See all 3 comments »
Hutterite
American Fork, UT

The parernts' television council. The nanniest of the nanny groups. Trying hard to make it pablum for all of us.

  • 10:07 a.m. Oct. 19, 2012
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OlderGreg
USA, CA

It's not about censoring what *you* see, it's about truth in labeling for people in their own homes.

  • 3:54 p.m. Oct. 20, 2012
  • Top comment
keyboarder
College Station, TX

@Hutterite: No, those who think the PTC is trying to censor or limit free speech are grossly mistaken. The PTC is pushing for responsible, legal, appropriate television and advertising. By all means, you are welcome to go subscribe to whatever you More..

  • 8:51 a.m. Nov. 9, 2012
  • Top comment
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About the Author
Jamshid Ghazi Askar

Jamshid Ghazi Askar

Jamshid Ghazi Askar is an enterprise reporter covering Values in the Media for the Deseret News.

A proud half-Iranian born in Los Angeles, Mr. Askar spent his formative years growing up in Orange County. more ..

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