Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 - (Page 9) ptc THE PTC’S FAMILY GUIDE TO PRIME-TIME TELEVISION® HELPING PARENTS CHOOSE TV SAFE FOR THEIR CHILDREN edia today has exploded. With hundreds of cable and satellite TV networks and amazing new technology that allows people to access television programs on computers, cell phones, and other personal devices, parents often feel overwhelmed by the amount of media that comes into their children’s lives. Since most parents don’t have time to pre-screen every TV show, many seek ratings to help them determine which choices are best for their children. Since 1997, the television industry has assigned ratings to most programs. The television networks claim that TV ratings, working in conjunction with a properly-programmed the V-Chip, will block television programs containing material inappropriate for children. But it is important for parents to realize that the TV networks rate their own products themselves. Many programs are incorrectly rated, and contain content most parents would consider offensive or even dangerous for their children. As a result, the TV industry’s ratings often cannot be relied upon to reflect the values and standards of many families. One reliable source for TV ratings is the PTC’s Family Guide to Prime-Time Television® (www. parentstv.org/PTC/familyguide/main.asp). Utilizing an easy-to-understand traffic light rating system, the Family Guide evaluates every program on M prime-time broadcast TV and selected series available on expanded basic cable and satellite systems. Each program’s premise is described, and detailed examples are given of every program’s treatment of sex, violence and foul language. Each of these elements is assigned a traffic light color – red, yellow or green – and the program is rated overall on its appropriateness for children. The PTC’s crack Research and Analysis Division assigns each program its traffic light rating, based on a careful examination of the content of the show’s first three episodes. Within a day after a program’s premiere, a PTC analyst watches the episode and writes a “preliminary” Family Guide page, de- tailing the program’s premise, lead characters, major conflicts and the like. Also noted are any outstanding instances of inappropriate content in the premiere episode. It is often the case that a series pilot or premiere episode features content that differs from that found in episodes of a regular series, in an attempt to attract more attention to the premiere and draw a larger audience. As a result, traffic light ratings are reserved until a PTC analyst has had an opportunity to view several episodes and make a determination regarding the amount and intensity of sex, violence, foul language and other potentially disturbing content in each program. Programs with graphic or explicit depictions of violence or sexual content, or those using the most intense foul language, are rated “red.” Those utilizing content which is less intense but still inappropriate for children are rated “yellow.” Only programs containing very mild violence and language, and responsible or veiled discussions of sex, are rated “green.” Once the Family Guide page is completed, it is posted to the Parents Television Council website – where it is available to all parents and families, and serves as an accurate and reliable guide to the content on prime-time broadcast television. By using the PTC’s Family Guide to Prime-Time Television®, parents can feel secure in their choice of entertainment for themselves and their children. CHRISTIAN ENTERTAINMENT REVIEW — SPECIAL EDITION / FALL 2008 9 http://www.parentstv.org http://www.familyentertainmentcentral.org http://www.familyentertainmentcentral.org http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/familyguide/main.asp http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/familyguide/main.asp http://www.familyentertainmentcentral.org http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/familyguide/main.asp
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 Frequently Asked Questions About the FEC The Dove Foundation: How a Few Parents Launched a Movement The Dove Foundation's Entertainment Content Analysis About the Parents Television Council Helping Parents Choose TV Safe for Their Children Family Friendly Game Reviews Are You Free to Play? Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 - Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 (Page Cover1) Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 - Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 (Page Cover2) Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 - Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 (Page 1) Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 - Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 (Page 2) Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 - Frequently Asked Questions About the FEC (Page 3) Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 - The Dove Foundation: How a Few Parents Launched a Movement (Page 4) Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 - The Dove Foundation's Entertainment Content Analysis (Page 5) Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 - The Dove Foundation's Entertainment Content Analysis (Page 6) Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 - The Dove Foundation's Entertainment Content Analysis (Page 7) Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 - About the Parents Television Council (Page 8) Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 - Helping Parents Choose TV Safe for Their Children (Page 9) Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 - Helping Parents Choose TV Safe for Their Children (Page 10) Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 - Family Friendly Game Reviews (Page 11) Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 - Are You Free to Play? (Page 12) Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 - Are You Free to Play? (Page Cover3) Home Media Magazine - Christian Entertainment Report - Fall 2008 - Are You Free to Play? (Page Cover4)
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