PTC Welcomes Passage of the Child Safe Viewing Act

LOS ANGELES (November 18, 2008) � The Parents Television Council� praised the U.S. Congress for helping to protect children from indecent content on television and on the Internet. After reviewing the U.S. House version of the bill, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Child Safe Viewing Act (S. 602) sponsored by Senator Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), and the bill is expected to be signed into law by President George W. Bush.

The Child Safe Viewing Act will require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to explore new technology and review current blocking devices, such as the V-chip, that are designed to help parents monitor their kids� media consumption.

�Parents deserve better resources to help protect their children from inappropriate content on television. The current V-chip technology relies on inaccurate ratings. This legislation is an important first step towards the implementation of more functional and reliable solutions for parents and families. We applaud Congress for its commitment to better empower parents to protect their children,� said PTC President Tim Winter.

�Blocking technologies like the industry-touted V-chip rely on an accurate ratings system in order to work. Through its research, the PTC has found that TV ratings are applied to shows arbitrarily by the TV networks. Not only that, but TV ratings are often inaccurate � which renders the V-chip useless to parents. We hope that this legislation provides the path towards the much-needed change in the TV industry.�

To see the results of the PTC�s research on the ratings system, visit http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/reports/ratingsstudy/exsummary.asp.

To speak with a representative from the Parents Television Council, please contact Kelly Oliver (ext. 140) or Megan Franko (ext. 148) at (703) 683-5004.

The Parents Television Council™ (www.parentstv.org®) is a non-partisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment. It was founded in 1995 to ensure that children are not constantly assaulted by sex, violence and profanity on television and in other media. This national grassroots organization has more than 1.3 million members across the United States, and works with television producers, broadcasters, networks and sponsors in an effort to stem the flow of harmful and negative messages targeted to children. The PTC also works with elected and appointed government officials to enforce broadcast decency standards. Most importantly, the PTC produces critical research and publications documenting the dramatic increase in sex, violence and profanity in entertainment. This information is provided free of charge so parents can make informed viewing choices for their own families.