Major New Study of the V-Chip TV Rating System
Embargoed for release until:
9:00 a.m. ET, Thursday, September 24, 1998
Contacts: Tina Hoff
or Matt James
TV Rating System Doesn't Flag Most Sex and Violence for Parents, But Most Who Use it Assume it Does
Washington, D.C. -- One year after the television industry began using a new system for rating program content, a major new study finds that the age-based portion of the ratings, such as TV-G or TV-14, have been applied accurately, but that the more detailed "content descriptors" favored by most parents are not being widely used to flag programs with sexual or violent content.
More than three out of four (79%) shows with violence and nine out of ten shows with sex (92%) do not receive the V or S content descriptors. Among children's programs, eight out of ten shows (81%) with violence do not receive the FV ("fantasy violence") descriptor, the only content indicator available for use with children's programs. A companion survey of more than 500 parents found that a majority (55%) of those who use the TV ratings believe that the V content descriptor is supposed to be used on all shows containing violence.
Although shows without content descriptors generally had lower levels of violence or sex than shows that received the descriptors, many did not. For example, an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger that aired without a V included the stabbing of two guards on a bus, an assault on a church by escaped convicts who threaten to rape a nun, and a fight scene in which one escapee is shot and another is kicked and beaten unconscious. And the movie Danielle Steele's Family Album, aired without an S, showed a couple having intercourse, their bodies partially covered with a sheet.
The study released today by the Kaiser Family Foundation - Rating the TV Ratings: One Year Out - found that the failure to flag the majority of sex and violence is the result of several factors, including judgment calls by the industry, NBC's decision not to use the content descriptors on any of its shows, and gaps in the design of the system as agreed to by the industry andadvocacy groups. The study was conducted for the Foundation by Professor Dale Kunkel of the University of California, Santa Barbara.
"The bottom line for parents who want to use the V-chip is clear," said Vicky Rideout, Director of the Kaiser Family Foundation's Program on the Entertainment Media and Public Health. "Parents cannot rely on the content descriptors, as currently employed, to identify most shows containing sex, violence, or adult language."
According to the companion survey of parents, two-thirds (67%) of those who use the ratings say the content descriptors provide the most useful information (13% say the age-based ratings do).
With regard to violence in children's programs, the study found that six out of ten (60%) children's shows contain violence; less than one out of five (19%) children's shows with violence receives an FV ("fantasy violence") content descriptor. The rating system as designed does not call for the FV descriptor to be used on every show containing violence, but only on those shows rated TV-Y7 that contain "more intense" or "more combative" violence than other shows in that rating category.
Even among those shows "specifically designed for a very young audience," (rated TV-Y) more than half (55%) contained violence. The companion survey of parents found that a majority (61%) of parents who use the ratings believe that shows that are rated TV-Y are not supposed to contain any violence.
Under the rating system, all shows other than news or sports are supposed to receive a rating. Overall, the study found that the television industry has done a good job in complying with this policy: across all networks and programs reviewed, only 4% of shows that qualified for a rating failed to receive one.
Independent of the use of content descriptors, the study found that the age-based portion of the ratings are applied accurately to general audience shows (i.e., shows other than those created specifically for children). For example, the TV rating guidelines state that shows rated TV-G will contain "little or no" violent or sexual content. The study found that 80% of TV-G shows contain no violence, and the remainder contain an average of two scenes of low-level violence; 91% contain no sexual behavior, and the remainder contain an average of less than two scenes of mostly mild sexual content.
Methodology
The study is one of the largest analyses of television content ever conducted. A randomly selected composite week of television programming on eleven channels was subjected to elaborate content analysis. The channels represent network and independent broadcast stations as well as basic and premium cable (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, HBO, Lifetime, Nickelodeon, PBS, TNT, USA, and the independent Los Angeles station KTLA, which airs nine hours a week of WB programming). The results for PBS are reported independently of the commercial stations. Rather than simply counting the amount of violence, sex or adult language in a show, the study also analyzed the level and intensity of such content as well as the context in which it was presented. The analyses were conducted by trained coders using standard research techniques that yielded a high degree of consistency in judgments among coders.
Survey Methodology
The survey results are based on a national random-sample survey of 547 parents of children ages 2-17, conducted by International Communications Research from September 3-8, 1998. The margin of error is +4%.
Copies of the study, entitled One Year Out: Rating the TV Ratings (pub. # 1434), or of the Executive Summary (pub. #1435), are available by calling the Kaiser Family Foundation's publications request line at 1-800-656-4533.
The TV Parental Guidelines, agreed to by the television industry and advocacy groups, are the only official description of the various ratings and how they should be applied. Following is the exact text of these guidelines.
The TV Parental Guidelines
The following categories apply to programs designed solely for children:
TV-Y: All Children. This program is designed to be appropriate for all children. Whether animated or live-action, the themes and elements in this program are specifically designed for a very young audience, including children from ages 2-6. This program is not expected to frighten younger children.
TV-Y7: Directed to Older Children. This program is designed for children age 7 and above. It may be more appropriate for children who have acquired the developmental skills needed to distinguish between make-believe and reality. Themes and elements in this program may include mild fantasy violence or comedic violence, or may frighten children under the age of 7. Therefore, parents may wish to consider the suitability of this program for their very young children. Note: for those programs where fantasy violence may be more intense or more combative than other programs in this category, such programs will be designated TV-Y7-FV.
The following categories apply to programs designed for the entire audience:
TV-G: General Audience. Most parents would find this program suitable for all ages. Although this rating does not signify a program designed specifically for children, most parents may let younger children watch this program unattended. It contains little or no violence, no strong language and little or no sexual dialogue or situations.
TV-PG: Parental Guidance Suggested. This program contains material that parents may find unsuitable for younger children. Many parents may want to watch it with their younger children. The theme itself may call for parental guidance and/or the program contains one or more of the following: moderate violence (V), some sexual situations (S), infrequent coarse language (L), or some suggestive dialogue (D).
TV-14: Parents Strongly Cautioned. This program contains some material that many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age. Parents are strongly ureged to exercise greater care in monitoring this program and are cautioned against letting children under the age of 14 watch unattended. This program contains one or more of the following: intense violence (V), intense sexual situations (S), strong coarse language (L), or intensely suggestive dialogue (D).
TV-MA: Mature Audience Only. This program is specifically designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children under 17. This programs contains one or more of the following: graphic violence (V), explicit sexual activity (S), or crude indecent language (L).
