Broadcast Networks’ Move to Put Content Ratings on Their Websites Draws Some Praise
Federal Democratic policymakers praised a commitment from the major broadcast networks to begin putting content rating information on their full-length programming when it’s shown on websites they control. The commitment, to take effect next year, will cover shows streamed on each network’s own site. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel and Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., praised the commitment. A critic of the networks’ ratings policies said the move will do little to help parents make decisions about their children’s viewing habits. Disney’s ABC, News Corp.’s Fox, Comcast’s NBC and Telemundo, CBS, Univision and its TeleFutura network all signed on.
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"All they've really done is added more links to their websites,” said Dan Isett, director of public policy at the Parents Television Council. “I wish that all things in the world were as easy to get a great quote out of the chairman as links on a website.” He said the same problems PTC has identified with the TV ratings system will still be in place online. “We've been outspoken for years about the flaws and inaccuracies in that system,” he said. “And without any gating or control mechanism for parents here, I'm not sure this really does any good.”
Others took a different view. “I applaud the networks’ commitment to empower parents,” Genachowski said. “With our rapidly changing media marketplace, it is vital parents have tools to help them make informed choices.” Viewing habits are clearly changing, Rosenworcel said. “But what is not changing is the need to provide parents with simple and honest means to monitor and manage their children’s viewing.” Markey said the new commitments reflect the reality that “mobility has dramatically expanded the range of venues for watching TV” and praised the networks for extending the content ratings to Web-based programming.
The commitments are similar to a condition of the FCC order approving Comcast’s purchasing control of NBCUniversal. The order called for NBC to begin putting ratings information on shows on NBC.com and Hulu.com within 9 months of the deal’s approval.
Other sites that distribute broadcast programs online such as Amazon, Netflix and Apple’s iTunes Store aren’t covered by the commitment, a spokesperson for one of the networks said. Those sites would have to take additional steps to receive the information should the broadcast networks provide it, the spokesperson said. That’s why the announcement focused on websites the networks control, the representative said. The commitment applies only to full-length broadcast programming and not the cable-network programming produced and distributed by the broadcast networks’ parent companies, the spokesperson said.