There it is again! That little translucent box that appears in the top, left-hand corner of the television screen the first fifteen seconds of the best show in television history. What does the "TV-P.G." inside that box mean, anyway? Many Americans ask this same question every time they see that blockade of full television viewing. Although some people may understand this "TV-P.G." caption, the chances are they do not understand why the television program is rated "TV-P.G." Is it because of too many "four-letter words," or is it because there are too many sexual innuendoes? This question could be answered better by a content-based rating system, rather than an age-based rating system.

First of all, let us examine the current television rating system. Where did it come from? Who made it? What do those letters inside that box mean?

The current television rating system is modeled after the movie rating system(G, P.G., P.G.-13, R, X, etc.). The same man who developed our movie rating system twenty-eight years ago, Jack Valenti, developed our current television rating system.

One of the most common questions that people ask about the television rating system is, "What do all those letters mean?" To answer this common question, let us start from the least severe rating, and work our way to the most severe rating:

1. "TV-Y" means that the television show is "suitable for all children, and that the program is specifically designed for younger children" (Craig). This would include shows like Barney and The Magic School Bus.

2. "TV-Y7" means the program is "directed toward older children" (Craig). This program could "scare children under the age of seven" (Craig). This would include shows such as Mighty Morphin Power Rangers or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

3. "TV-G" means the program is cleared for "general audiences" (Craig). Everyone can watch this type of program. This includes most cartoons and game shows.

4. "TV-P.G." Of all the television ratings, this one seems to give people the most trouble. The reason for this is it is too vague. In a nutshell, it means a television program contains "infrequent coarse language, limited violence, and some suggestive sexual dialogue or situations" (Craig). Some examples of shows with this rating are Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman, The Rosie O’Donnell Show, and Oprah.

5. "TV-14" means a television program "contains sophisticated themes, sexual content, strong language and more intense violence" (Craig). Mainly, this would include theater movies that are played over the television.

6. "TV-M" means a television program "contains mature adult themes, profane language, graphic violence, and explicit sexual content" (Craig). Movies are generally the only programs on television that receive this rating, for example Schindler’s List.

Recently some television networks have began placing the letters S, V, L, D, or FV under the required "TV-Y," etc. naturally, the question arises, "What do these new letters mean?" These clarifying ratings are much easier to explain than the "TV-P.G.," etc. They are as follows:

"V" is for violence.

"S" is for sex.

"L" is for offensive language.

"D" is for dialogue(i.e. sexual innuendoes).

"FV" is for fantasy of cartoon violence. (Craig)

Now that we understand what all of these letters mean, the question remains, "What is the purpose of all these rating letters? The new television rating codes work with the new V-chips(the "v" stands for violence)that are required by law to be installed in all new television sets that are made in the United State. These allow parents to block out any shows that are deemed violent or sexually explicit ("Television" 73).

The current system of television ratings is based on the age of the viewer. Ratings like "TV-G" and "TV-P.G." differentiate between the ages of viewers who would be able to watch the program. This system does not give a reason for this rating it just simply tells whether or not a person is old enough to watch the show. Why is this system thought to be better than a content-based rating system which tells you why the show is rated "TV-P.G.?"

One reason this system is thought to be better, is Americans are already familiar with the movie rating system (Lund). This type of rating system has the backing of the "entire five hundred channel television industry" (Lund).

Another reason the age-based system of television ratings is supported over the content-based system, is the parent’s responsibility of their children’s television viewing habits. A person who is close to Mr. Jack Valenti said, "When you buy a can of soup, the label says ‘chicken noodle,’ and if you want more information, then you read the ingredients label" (Mifflin "Groups"). Many people say that parents suffer from lack of information, but Peter A. Lund says, "They [parents] do not lack information, but they do need a simple label that will trigger the v-chip." Nearly all Americans know what different television programs contain. "Most parents," Lund says, "have already decided whether they want N.Y.P.D. Blue or Married With Children or Friends or Walker, Texas Ranger in their homes" (Lund). Some people think if adults were actually serious about the content of shows, they would not watch shows like Married With Children or pay for cable channels that are "risqué" (Rich). Frank Rich says, "Parents need more protection from fatuous reformers than their kids do from Baywatch" (Rich). Some think the content-based rating system will be a good addition, but it will only be a good addition for parents who already care about what their children watch (Rich). Parents who do not care now will likely not listen to the V-S-L(violence, sex, language) ratings either(Rich).

Another important factor is the affect that this age-based rating system has on the very ones we are trying to protect, the children. Peter Lund, in an editorial in the New York Times, says, "Rating television programs explicitly for sex, language, and violence is unwise, and could actually backfire by serving as a lure to the very children we are trying to protect" (Lund). A study done on television content by Media Scope Inc., it is found that ratings such as "parental discretion," "P.G.-13," or "R" appealed more to boys ("Television" 75). These ratings made them want to watch that movie or television show more. A separate study by Brad Bushman, a researcher at Iowa State University, found that young people between the ages of fifteen and twenty years old were interested more in a program labeled with "viewer discretion" than a program that was labeled the same, but was never announced audibly ("Television" 75).

Another reason the age-based rating system is supported so highly, is its simplicity. According to Peter Lund, president and chief of executive officers of CBS, an effective ratings system is one that is simple. People in Canada are now dealing with a system that has 125 different areas (Lund). In the New York Times, Walter Goodman says that parents who see this S-V-L rating system every day on every show, may find themselves wishing they had kept their mouths shut (Goodman). Peter Lund says, "The television industry’s rating system is clean and simple and addresses the concerns of the vast majority of American parents." Rosalyn Weinman, executive vice president of broad cast operations for NBC, says,

If you had a V-S-L system, practically all shows would have some level of it. You’d have to have a ‘V’ on Superman and a ‘S’ on Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman,’ and pretty soon you’re actually destroying any real sense of information. More is actually less; it starts to become meaningless (Mifflin "Issues").

Peter Lund, in a very humorous way, says, "But the effectiveness of a system must not be judged by the length of the label. It is possible in this case, to choke on alphabet soup."

Although an age-based system of television ratings is highly complemented, a content-based system of television ratings would do a better job than the highly praised age-based system does.

One of the main supports of the content-based system is the parents of the children who watch television. As Joan Dykstra, president of the national PTA, says, "Parents want a ratings system that gives them comprehensive, objective details about programs,..." ("Members" 538). Many critics of the age-based system say the code "robs parents of the opportunity to use their judgement about what is appropriate for their children" ("Television" 77).

According to a poll taken by Children Now, 80% of American parents support a content-based rating system, while only 20% support an age-based system (Aurbach 1). Why do so many parents support a content based system? First, the age-based system does not "provide parents with specific information about the content of individual programs," (Aurbach 1) and second, the age-based system "assumes there is only one universal standard of programs suitability for all children" (Aurbach 1). In December of 1996, a Media Studies Center/Freedom Forum poll was released. It showed that 73% of those polled said they wanted a ratings system based on content, while only 15% wanted an age-based rating system ("Television" 77). Dale Kunke, professor of communication at the University of California at Santa Barbra, says that parents might be sensitive to violence rather than sex or language, or parents might be more sensitive about sex rather than violence or language. How are parents to make an educated guess about the show unless they know what is in the show (Mifflin "Groups")? Representative Edward Markey (D., Mass.), who introduced the first v-chip legislation in 1993, said,

Using six categories gives the allusion of precision. The reality is the majority of programming is likely to fall into the "TV-P.G." ratings. This is a vast, undifferentiated category that doesn’t tell parents whether a program was rated that way for violence or sex or language. "TV-P.G." really stands for "too vague-parents give up." ("Television" 77)

Another major consideration when thinking about an age-based system verses a content-based system, is the American children’s physical well-being. That’s right, their health! A major concern of some doctors is the age-based ratings system does not flag violence. Dr. Michael Brody, a member of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, said, "We’re talking about children, not small adults, and to have the World Series on and see promotions for Millennium with blood all over the place is awful" (Mifflin "Groups).

Many supporters of the age-based system agree that the movie ratings system has worked by being age-based; however, critics of the age-based system say that "movie-going is usually a planned event over which parents have great control" ("Television" 77). Some people think that since HBO has had a content-based system for eleven years, why can we not do this with every show on television?

Many people are saying, "Since this content-based system is so great, why do we not have one?" One of the major hindrances of the content-based system is the television advertisers. A survey was conducted, recently, of 700 advertising leaders, by Jack Myers, advertising industry consultant. It was found that 64% "believe a program ratings system will influence the content of network programming" (Mifflin "Issue"), 82% "believe that a rating system will influence their [the viewers] buying decisions" (Mifflin "Issue"). The television industry is actually worried about the affect a content-based system would have on their advertisers and viewers ("The TV").

A second hindrance of a content-based rating system is the producers of the television programs. Kathryn Montgomery, president of the Center for Media Education, says the new system [age-based system] "relies solely on the TV industry’s judgement about what material is suitable for those in a particular age range" ("Television" 77). Representative Edward Markey says, "If you look up ‘conflict of interest’ in the dictionary you will see that it is defined as ‘letting television producers rate their own shows’" ("Television" 77).