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TV ratings system expanded
July 10, 1997
Web posted at: 5:45 p.m. EDT (2145 GMT)WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The six-month-old television rating system, criticized for being too vague, will be expanded by October to better identify programs containing sex, violence, adult themes and offensive language.
The deal, announced Thursday, follows negotiations between parents groups, the television industry and members of Congress. ABC, CBS, Fox and the major cable networks have agreed to participate. However, NBC will not.
"I've pledged we're going to try to make it work, and we're going to redeem that pledge," said Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, who oversaw creation of the original TV ratings.
Poll: How will the ratings affect your TV viewing?
"Today, America's parents have won back their living room," said Vice President Al Gore, who helped broker the original TV ratings deal.
The agreement will make it easier for parents to decide what programs their children should watch, said Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, one of the lawmakers involved in negotiating the deal.
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Since they took effect January 1, the TV ratings have been attacked by parents' groups and some lawmakers for not giving parents enough information to make decisions about children's viewing choices.
What the new ratings will look like and mean
Under the revised system, programs currently rated TV-PG (parental guidance suggested), TV-14 (unsuitable for children under 14) or TV-MA (mature audiences only) will get the added designations of:
- "S" for sex
- "V" for violence
- "L" for crude language
- "D" for dialogue containing sexual themes.
Depending on the content, one or more of the letters will show up alongside the ratings that now appear in the upper-left corner of TV screens for 15 seconds at the beginning of a program. The on-screen ratings also will be larger and more frequent.
In addition, five people -- a majority of them parents -- will join a existing board that reviews TV shows to determine whether they have been rated appropriately. That board is now filled only with industry members.
Fantasy violence category added
However, broadcasters balked at adding the new letter codes to the current "TV-Y7" rating for programs suitable for children 7 and older.
Instead, the industry will add a special designation for cartoons or fantasy programs aimed at older children, such as "FV" for fantasy violence.
In exchange for the new ratings, Congress will promise to hold off at least three years before trying to make additional changes.
The wait will "give the rating system a chance to work," McCain said.
NBC, others not signing
NBC and several small cable channels declined to join the agreement.
"There is no place for government involvement in what people watch on television," said NBC in a statement. Network spokesperson Beth Comstock said NBC will continue to use the existing six-tier system and will add additional, unspecified content information on a case-by-case basis.
However, Gore, McCain and other lawmakers said they expect NBC to adopt the new system by fall.
Meanwhile, the Screen Actors Guild, the Directors Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America have threatened to file a lawsuit against the revamped ratings, citing free speech concerns.
Eventually, parents will be able to use the TV ratings to block selected shows from their screens. Next year, new TV sets are to include a "v-chip" that would let parents zap unwanted programs.
The new system will have to be approved by the Federal Communications Commission, which had already scheduled hearings on the effectiveness of the rating system. The hearings begin next Monday.
Reporter Kathleen Koch and Reuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Congress agrees to 3-year moratorium on TV ratings system - July 8, 1997
- Report: TV ratings may lure youngsters to racy shows - March 26, 1997
- Senate opens hearing on TV rating system - February 27, 1997
- U.S. TV industry unveils ratings system - December 19, 1996
Related sites:
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- Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Home Page- government agency charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable
- The TV Parental Guidelines Website
- Federal Action Alert: Make Sure Television Ratings Work for American Families- from Children Now, a nonpartisan, independent voice for children Rcognized nationally for its policy expertise and up-to-date information
- Statement by Senator John McCain on TV Ratings Negotiations - Press Release, June 20, 1997
- Screen Actors Guild
- Directors Guild of America
- Writers Guild of America
- National Coalition on Television Violence
- Violence and Television - special report from KQED
- Center for Media Education - a national non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of the electronic media
- Mediascope National Television Violence Study - initial report of an ongoing three-year research project examining violence on U.S television.
- Taking Charge of Your TV - a guide to, "help families make better choices in the TV programs they watch and to improve the way they watch those programs"
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