Parents overwhelmingly want America’s television content ratings system to be overhauled and updated for the 21st century. Congresswoman Harriet Hageman, R-WY, is trying to make that happen.
Rep. Hageman introduced a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to better disclose sensitive TV content so American parents can make more informed decisions about entertainment for their children.
The resolution demands the FCC “develop a ratings framework with neutral, objective, and specific content descriptions across all video platforms, promote greater transparency in how ratings are assigned and challenged, and ensure any ratings oversight body includes meaningful representation from parents and child advocacy organizations.”
“Parents have the right to decide what their children watch, and the current ratings system is robbing them of that right,” Rep. Hageman said in a statement.
Congress passed the Telecommunications Act in 1996 requiring parents be provided with information about children’s entertainment content ahead of time so they can protect their kids from violent, sexual or other harmful programming.
To comply with the legislation, entertainment industry representatives established the TV Oversight Management Board (TVOMB) and developed the TV Parental Guidelines age ratings system which is still in use today.
The system provides ratings for programs that are appropriate for all children (TV-Y); appropriate for children age seven and above (TV-Y7); suitable, but not specifically designed for, children (TV-G); and those that contain more mature content: TV-PG, TV-14 and TV-MA.
The TV Parental Guidelines also contain descriptors informing parents of sexually suggested dialogue (D); fantasy violence (FV); coarse or crude language (L); sexual situations (S); and violence (V).
This rating system was perhaps adequate in the 1999s, when constant LGBT propaganda in children’s entertainment wasn’t a fact of life. Unfortunately, that’s no longer the case.
According to recent research, the ratings system fails to adequately account for sensitive content today.
Concerned Women for America’s (CWA) report, “LGBTQ Messaging Pervasive In Netflix Children’s Programming,” found that “41% of G-rated series, and 41% of TV-Y7-rated series on Netflix contain LGBTQ+ content.”
The organization also released a new poll revealing most parents (87%) said it’s either “very important” or “somewhat important” for TV content ratings to advise them of violence, sexual assault or other sensitive topics like LGBT messaging.
“Parents should be able to make informed viewing decisions for their children,” said Penny Nance, CEO and president of CWA, “but currently, parents have no way of knowing whether LGBTQ+ content is in that program.”
Furthermore, outsourcing oversight of the ratings system to the TVOMB is like asking the fox to guard the henhouse. The organization, which is responsible for ensuring media companies follow the industry’s ratings standards, is largely made up of media companies and trade groups financed by media corporations.
Nearly 80% of respondents to CWA’s poll said they support reforming the TVOMB to include more independent experts, parent groups and child-advocacy organizations.
Rep. Hageman’s resolution aims to shine a spotlight on parent’s desire for reform.
“Streaming platforms are pushing ideology into children’s programming, and Washington has looked the other way for too long,” Rep. Hageman said. “This resolution puts the FCC on notice that transparency is not optional.”
Multiple conservative organizations are supporting the resolution including Concerned Women for America, Family Policy Alliance, Wyoming Family Alliance, American Principles Project, Moms for Liberty, Heritage Action and Family Research Council.
“For too long, ratings systems have failed to give parents accurate and consistent information about what their children are watching,” said Craig DeRoche, president and CEO of Family Policy Alliance. “This resolution is a long-overdue step toward the transparency families need to make informed decisions.”
In a public notice issued April 22, the FCC opened a public comment period asking parents if they found TV-age ratings useful; whether they believe ratings are consistent across TV shows and programming; and whether they know children’s TV shows may contain information promoting gender ideology.
The FCC also asked parents for comment on whether the TVOMB should create a new warning label for content with “transgender and gender non-binary programming” and when “gender identity themes are discussed or displayed.”
Over 40 far-left groups including the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Advocates for Trans Equality, GLAAD and PFLAG National filed a public comment opposing the FCC’s consideration of added content warnings for LGBT characters and stories.
These groups want to keep parents in the dark while their children are fed pro-LGBT content by the entertainment industry.
The FCC could soon act to help parents make more informed decisions about their children’s entertainment content. Until it does, Rep. Hageman’s resolution intends to nudge the agency in the right direction.
Related articles and resources:
Parenting Tips for Guiding Your Kids in the Digital Age
Feds Ask Parents: ‘Did You Know Gender Ideology Can Be Promoted in Kids TV Shows?’
Photo from Getty Images.
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