PTC Insider Article
December 2003

2003 Parents Television Council Victories

PTC Research and Studies Make Waves Nationwide

The PTC is America's foremost authority on television programming. With the largest research operation of its kind anywhere (nearly than 14,000 VHS tapes containing nearly 90,000 hours of programming) the PTC research operations is unrivaled. That's why, when the PTC releases a study, it makes waves nationwide.

In 2003, the PTC released a series of special reports looking at the State of the Television Industry. The first report, Sex Loses its Appeal, looked at sexual content on television, and was released in May at a Capitol Hill press conference with Senator Sam Brownback and Representative Jim Greenwood. The PTC found that every broadcast network except for the relatively small WB has experienced a decrease in sexual content during the Family Hour (8-9:00 p.m. ET/PT), and every network but the WB and UPN has shown an improvement during the second hour of prime time. These quantitative improvements were offset by the fact that television programming has gotten qualitatively worse.

Countless television news programs, nationally syndicated and local radio programs, and literally dozens of newspapers around the country reported the PTC's findings.

In September, the PTC released its second State of the Television Industry report, The Blue Tube. The PTC found that there was a massive increase in foul language in every time slot between 1998 and 2002. Foul language during the Family Hour increased by 94.8% between 1998 and 2002. It increased by 109.1% during the 9:00 p.m. ET/PT time slot. Ironically, the smallest increase (38.7%) occurred during the last hour of prime time – the hour when young children are least likely to be in the viewing audience. The good news – if it can be called that – is that there were some minor qualitative improvements. That is, in every time slot, mild oaths and curses ("hell" and "damn") comprised a larger share of the foul language in 2002 than in 1998, which means that harsher foul language became marginally less prominent.

Once again, the PTC's report generated enormous media coverage: eight national television network news pieces, 38 radio pieces and 150 print media articles. The study even prompted a Pennsylvania State lawmaker to draft a resolution urging the Federal Communications Commission and major television networks to curb or eliminate the growing amount of profanity on television, especially during the Family Hour.

In September the PTC won a major victory in the ongoing war against Hollywood's anti-family television programming. The producers of C.S.I. announced that they intend to reduce some C.S.I. producer Anthony Zuiker announced a clean-up of the show's seamier plotlines. of the seamier plotlines this season, their decision coming as a direct result of the C.S.I.'s inclusion in the PTC's 2002-2003 listing of the Top Ten Worst Shows on Prime Time Network Television. As reported in the New York Daily News, producer and show creator Anthony Zuiker said "it hurt" when C.S.I was tagged by the PTC as being unfit for family viewing. Zuiker says he will try to steer the show away from stories that could keep children from watching. "We don't want to exclude families. We don't want to exclude children. The first family that turns off the show because it's too dark – that's catastrophic to us," he also said in the article. Finally, someone has noticed that when over two million children are exposed to filthy plotlines about S&M clubs, snuff films, cannibalism, and incest, someone has to take responsibility.

On October 29, the Parents Television Council released its fourth comprehensive study examining the advertising practices of the six broadcast networks. The PTC found that children continue to be targeted by studios and video game publishers in their advertising of R-rated films and M-rated video games on network television. The PTC's analysis shows that TV advertisements for adult-rated entertainment reaching children during the Family Hour – the first hour of prime time – more frequently today than a year ago.

The study was released to coincide with a workshop held by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on the marketing of adult entertainment to children. In addition to sharing our study findings at the workshop, the PTC provided the FTC with research from our massive computer database. In fact, the FTC has been so impressed by the thoroughness of our database they have asked to be able to access our research for future studies and reports on the marketing of adult-rated entertainment to children.

Other 2003 Victories