Parents Television Council Announces Memphis Chapter

Senior Pastor Leads Local Chapter

LOS ANGELES (February 4, 2010) – The Parents Television Council™, the nation’s most influential advocacy organization protecting children from graphic sex, violence and profanity in the media, announced Christopher-Michael Barnes as the director of its new Memphis Chapter.

Barnes is saddened by the depravity of today’s media. He believes television should be a vessel for positive content and change. “Such a valuable resource at our fingertips should be used to help better the community. Instead, it is being exploited by those who wish to desensitize all people, including young, impressionable children. It is time to ring the bell of awareness and bring hope back to parents, many of whom have given up on TV,” said Barnes.

The Memphis Chapter, Tennessee’s second, will be a voice for the community in defense of the innocence of childhood. The chapter will take on national and local initiatives while working toward greater awareness of the amount of adult content in the media consumed by our youth.  Once parents are armed with the latest news and research the chapter will be the focal point for action.  Memphis chapter members will reach out to media producers and the advertisers that pay for their programs to discuss their responsibilities as corporate citizens and, ultimately, to promote a positive change in local television content.

For more than 50 years, social scientists have insisted that exposure to violent media products can lead to aggressive behavior in children. Barnes believes that children having access to adult video games is a major problem in his community. “Our chapter will enact a campaign to get retailers to enforce the ESRB game ratings in their sales.  Those that sell adult games to children must be penalized financially,” said Barnes. “Many of today’s bestselling video games are rated Mature and legislation is needed to keep these titles out of the hands of children.”

Barnes is a longtime and decorated leader in his community. He is the Senior Pastor of Bush Grove Baptist Church and also serves as the CEO of Ministry Goals. In 2003, he was a finalist for the NAACP’s Top 50 Most Outstanding Future Community and Religious Leaders. Barnes is a native of Tennessee and enjoys volunteering and spending time with his wife and two children.  

Tim Winter, president of the PTC, said, “I had the opportunity to meet Christopher at the PTC’s 2007 National Grassroots Conference and I’m thrilled to see him step forward in a leadership position with our national grassroots network of volunteers. With Christopher’s leadership, passion and integrity, we look forward to seeing great success from our newly chartered Memphis Chapter.”