Parents Television Council Establishes First Wisconsin Chapter

Former PTC Intern and Current UW Political Science Major Creates Madison Chapter

Madison, WI (January 15, 2009) � The Parents Television Council�, a non-partisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment, announced Ashley Caputo as the director of the Madison Chapter. This first chapter in Wisconsin is also the first to be founded by a college student.

A Chicago native, Caputo currently attends the University of Wisconsin at Madison where she is a Political Science and European Studies major. Caputo said that �many of my friends and classmates have begun to take note of the exploitive and harmful influence that media has played in their lives. If enough of us take notice and make a stand, it doesn�t have to be like this for the next generation.�

During the summer of 2008, Caputo interned at the Parents Television Council in the Corporate Relations Department. As an intern, Ashley contacted corporations that were sponsoring potentially harmful programs. She also reviewed movies for the PTC Seal of Approval�. Upon return to Wisconsin in the fall, Caputo interned with the Barack Obama Campaign for Change. There she encouraged youth participation and organized voter registration drives. The success of the campaign inspired her to continue her work to get other young adults interested in positive change by starting a chapter for the Parents Television Council.

As the first chapter in the state of Wisconsin, the Madison Chapter will be the voice of the PTC in the community. The chapter will inform the student and resident communities about the shameful state of the media today, increasing awareness about the negative impact of sex and violence in the media on our youth while encouraging people to take a stand and do something about it. Additionally, the chapter will communicate with local television affiliates and advertisers to discuss community standards and promote a positive change in local television content.

PTC president, Tim Winter said �Ashley was one of the hardest working and most successful interns we have ever had. Ashley has held advertisers accountable for the content they pay for at the national level and will now do the same at the local level. Having seen the passion she put into her work as an intern I am excited, though not surprised, to announce her as a chapter director.�

To speak with a representative from the Parents Television Council, please contact Gavin McKiernan at (213) 403-1300 ext. 2866.

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.