In a new filing, the FCC is looking for comments from the public and other interested parties on a plan to take control of the voluntary TV ratings system to banish transgender and non-binary subject matter and hijack the TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board in a move the commission says will “protect children.”
The current TV ratings system is a voluntary industry effort run by the TV Oversight Management Board (TVOMB), comprised of the chairman (a position held by the head of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), National Cable Television Association (now called NCTA – The Internet and Television Association) (NCTA), or the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) as well as up to 18 industry representatives from the broadcast, cable and creative communities, and five nonprofit members. This board supervises the familiar ratings system of
The FCC filing complains the current rating system doesn’t account for programming that includes topics or characters it claims is not friendly to families:
We seek comment on whether and how the Bureau’s suggestions, both regarding increased transparency of the TVOMB and accuracy of TV ratings, have been implemented. How does the TVOMB engage with the public and are the steps taken sufficient? Is the composition of the board sufficiently balanced to represent a broad range of stakeholders outside of the entertainment industry? What more could the board do to include family-oriented perspectives—which are not well represented in the media industry—in its ratings process? Should additional faith-based organizations be represented on the TVOMB? Does the current complaint process provide for meaningful public participation?
Is the general public aware of the ratings system and how to provide feedback to the TVOMB? Is the general public aware that the V-chip can be used with the ratings system to block unwanted video programming from reaching children? Do descriptions of the content provide a sufficient basis for parents to make informed decisions concerning viewing decisions for their family, including when gender identity themes are discussed or displayed? Are parents aware that children watching programs rated TV-Y, TV-Y7, and TV-G may contain the discussion or promotion of gender identity themes? Should such programming be rated differently or contain relevant descriptions so that parents can make informed decisions?
The FCC filing goes on to suggest parents may be concerned that the current ratings system doesn’t sufficiently warn viewers about content which might include topics such as “gender issues:”
Recently, parents have raised concerns that controversial gender identity issues are being included or promoted in children’s programs without providing any disclosure or transparency to parents. Specifically, the industry guidelines that parents rely on are rating shows with transgender and gender non-binary programming as appropriate for children and young children, and doing so without providing this information to parents, thereby undermining the ability of parents to make informed choices for their families.
Consistent with Congress’s vision for the ratings system, we seek comment on whether the industry’s approach is continuing to provide the information that is relevant to parents today. By passing the relevant legislation in 1996, Congress acted to protect the right of parents to decide when and how to discuss mature topics with their children, and to know if and when their children are being exposed to these topics in their TV viewing. Accordingly, we seek comment here on any changes that can or should be made to the current ratings system to ensure that it is responsive to the issues that parents confront today. This includes any changes that may make sense for the TVOMB to ensure that it is representative of a range of family values. We also ask how ratings can be applied consistently across broadcast, MVPDs, and streaming platforms.
The filing suggests a range of remedies, from a voluntary change in the current ratings system to the need for Congress and/or the FCC to make changes that better reflect what the commission refers to as “family values.”
Comments may be filed electronically using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs.
