Parents Television Council outraged over raunchy Hardee's ad, The State Journal-Register (Springfield, IL), June 3, 2005.

The Illinois Parents Television Council (PTC), the nation's most influential advocacy organization protecting children against sex, violence and profanity in entertainment is outraged at Carl's Jr./Hardee's for their raunchy Spicy Burger television advertisement starring Paris Hilton.

I have been inundated all day long with calls from local newspapers, news stations and PTC members asking me of my opinion of the new erotic Hardee's advertisement featuring Paris Hilton and what, if anything, the Parents Television Council is going to do.

My response is that the ad has no place on the public airwaves; millions of children are in the viewing audience and the ad is airing at all times of the day, not just after 10 or 11 p.m., when it would be more appropriate for this ad to air.

The everyday parent cannot protect children against sexually graphic advertisements because of the nature of advertisements versus television shows. Parents cannot just change the channel because by the time they do, the ad is over.

The Carl's Jr. advertisement is the ultimate example of corporate irresponsibility and the PTC is calling on our members and concerned citizens to voice their opinions to Carl's Jr. The Parents Television Council has more than a million members, and we are taking action.

All of this is happening at a crucial time when broadcasters are under increased scrutiny by millions of parents who are fed up with current television content. We would think that the awareness would extend to advertisers.

Instead, Carl's Jr./Hardee's has done the opposite and are forcing American families to digest their filth.

This is a major offense to those parents with the primal instinct to protect our children from harm and we are not going to stand by and allow this garbage to program our children.

Dayton A. Loyd, Director
Parents Television Council
Central Illinois chapter

• www.parentstv.org