National Education Project Will Inform Parents How To Use The V-Chip And TV Ratings Embargoed for release until:
9:30 a.m. EST, Wednesday, June 23, 1999
Contacts:
Debra Roth, Center for Media Education, 202/331-7833, ext. 38
Missy Krasner, Kaiser Family Foundation, 650/854-9400, ext. 268
Campaign Launched As V-Chip TVs Hit Market WASHINGTON, D.C., June 23 -- At a time of intense debate about the impact of television programming on children, a national education campaign was unveiled today to teach interested parents, children, educators, and other members of the public how to use the television ratings system and new V-Chip TVs. The launch of The V-Chip Education Project, a partnership of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and Center for Media Education (CME), coincides with the July 1st deadline for V-Chip TVs to make their federally-mandated debut.
According to a recent national survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, three out of four (77 percent) of parents say they would use a V-Chip if they had one, but most do not understand the basics about what the TV ratings mean or how the V-Chip works. The public education campaign is designed to address that need, and will include the participation of the National Association of Broadcasters and the National Cable Television Association, which plan to produce and distribute public service announcements directing parents to the campaign's informational materials, as well as a grassroots effort by numerous parent and education organizations.
A free guide and
a new Web site are among the tools The V-Chip Education Project is offering the public. The guides include:
- a full explanation of the TV ratings system (see attached fact sheet);
- directions on using the V-Chip;
- tips on monitoring children's TV viewing;
- a form for submitting comments about the ratings to the TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board.
The booklets are available free of charge by calling a toll-free number: 1-877-2-VCHIP-TV (1-877-282-4478). They may be viewed online or downloaded, with additional relevant information, via a Web Site: www.vchipeducation.org.
"The arrival of the V-chip marks the beginning of a new era of empowerment for parents in America. For the first time, parents have a powerful new shield against harmful or inappropriate television content coming into their homes," said CME president Kathryn C. Montgomery, Ph.D. "It is our goal to help make the TV ratings and the V-chip familiar and helpful tools for any family that wants to use them."
"Many parents are deeply concerned about the impact of TV on their kids," said Vicky Rideout, director of the Kaiser Family Foundation's Program on the Entertainment Media & Public Health, "but right now they don't understand what the ratings mean or how the V-Chip works. This project is designed to give parents the information they need to use these new tools if they choose to."
V-Chip technology was mandated by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which requires that half of all televisions larger than 13" sold in the United States be equipped with V-Chips by July 1, the remaining half by January 1, 2000.
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, based in Menlo Park, California, is an independent national health care philanthropy and not associated with Kaiser Permanente or Kaiser Industries. The V-Chip Education Project is part of the Foundation's Program on the Entertainment Media & Public Health, which was established to examine the impact of entertainment media in society and to work with the entertainment industry to help convey important health messages to the public.
The Center for Media Education (CME) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a quality media culture for children, families and their communities. Founded in 1991, CME fosters telecommunications policymaking in the public interest through its research, advocacy, public education and outreach initiatives.
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