UNDERSTANDING THE TV RATINGS

AND PARENTAL CONTROLS

ABOUT THE TV RATINGS AND PARENTAL CONTROLS

With an increasing number of TV channels and programs coming into our homes
each day, it can be hard for parents to monitor what their children are watching.
Many parents are concerned about their young children watching programs with
content that’s more suitable for older children or adults.

TV RATINGS
The television industry designed a TV ratings system to give parents more informa-
tion about the content and age-appropriateness of TV programs. These ratings,
called the TV Parental Guidelines, are modeled after the familiar movie ratings,
which parents have known and valued for decades. They are designed to be
easily recognizable and simple to use. The Guidelines apply to most television
programs, including those directed specifically to young children. However, sports
and news shows do not carry the Guidelines.

The Guidelines appear in the upper left corner of the TV screen at the beginning
of TV shows, and often again after commercial breaks.

THE V-CHIP AND PARENTAL CONTROLS

The TV Parental Guidelines can be used in conjunction with the V-Chip — a device
built into most television sets since 2000 — to allow parents to block out programs
they don’t want their children to see. The V-Chip electronically reads television
program ratings and allows parents to block programs they believe are unsuitable
for their children. Parental control technology in cable and satellite set-top boxes
can also be used with the TV Parental Guidelines to block programs based on
their rating.

TV RATINGS OVERSIGHT
The TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board is responsible for ensuring there is as
much uniformity and consistency in applying the Parental Guidelines as possible
and is comprised of experts from the television industry and public interest advo-
cates. The Board also reviews complaints about specific program ratings to help
ensure accuracy. Individuals can contact the Board via mail, phone or e-mail to
voice complaints.
 UNDERSTANDING THE TV RATINGS

Audience: indicates the audience for which a television program is appropriate.

Content Label: indicates a show may contain violence, sex, adult language, or
suggestive dialogue.

The Content Labels

TV Parental Guidelines may have one or more letters added to the basic rating to let parents know
when a show may contain violence, sex, adult language, or suggestive dialogue.
D – suggestive dialogue (usually means talks about sex)
L – coarse or crude language
S – sexual situations
V – violence
FV – fantasy violence (children’s programming only)

All Children Parental Guidance Suggested

This program is designed to be appropriate for all chil- This program contains material that parents may find
dren. Whether animated or live-action, the themes and unsuitable for younger children. Many parents may
elements in this program are specifically designed for a want to watch it with their younger children. The theme
very young audience, including children from ages 2–6. itself may call for parental guidance and/or the pro-
This program is not expected to frighten younger children. gram may contain one or more of the following: some
suggestive dialogue (D), infrequent coarse language (L),
some sexual situations (S), or moderate violence (V).
Directed to Older Children
This program is designed for children age 7 and
above. It may be more appropriate for children who Parents Strongly Cautioned
have acquired the developmental skills needed to distin- This program contains some material that many parents
guish between make-believe and reality. Themes and would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of
elements in this program may include mild fantasy vio- age. Parents are strongly urged to exercise greater
lence or comedic violence, or may frighten children care in monitoring this program and are cautioned
under the age of 7. Therefore, parents may wish to against letting children under the age of 14 watch unat-
consider the suitability of this program for their very tended. This program may contain one or more of the
young children. following: intensely suggestive dialogue (D), strong
coarse language (L), intense sexual situations (S), or
intense violence (V).
Directed to Older Children –
Fantasy Violence
For those programs where fantasy violence may be more Mature Audience Only
intense or more combative than other programs in this This program is specifically designed to be viewed
category, such programs will be designated TV-Y7-FV. by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children
under 17. This program may contain one or more of
the following: crude indecent language (L), explicit
General Audience sexual activity (S), or graphic violence (V).
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.
 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ABOUT THE TV RATINGS

What are the TV Ratings? Who decides how a program is rated?

The TV Ratings, also called the TV Parental Guidelines, Programs are voluntarily rated by broadcast and cable
provide information about the content and age- television networks, or program producers.
appropriateness of TV programs. The TV Parental
Guidelines include two elements: an age-based rating
I am a program producer and/or
that provides guidance about the age group for which
a program is appropriate, and content descriptors represent a television network; how
indicating that a program may contain suggestive do I rate my programming?
dialogue (D), coarse or crude language (L), sexual The descriptions of the ratings categories serve as the
situations (S), or violence (V). basis for applying ratings. E-mail the Monitoring Board
with additional questions.
Do ratings exist that are specifically
designed for children? How is the rating displayed on the TV?
Yes. Children’s programming is rated according to two A ratings icon appears in the upper left corner of the
categories: TV-Y and TV-Y7. A TV-Y rating means that TV screen during the first 15 seconds of the program.
programming is appropriate for children of all ages. If the program is more than one hour, the icon will
TV-Y7 indicates that programming is designed for chil- reappear at the beginning of the second hour. Many
dren ages 7 and older. An additional rating, TV-Y7-FV, broadcast and cable television networks also display
is used to indicate that a program contains “fantasy the rating after each commercial break.
violence” that may be more intense or combative than
other TV-Y7 programs.
Where else can you find a program’s
rating?
Are all TV programs rated? Other places to find program ratings are: 1) local
The Guidelines apply to most television programs. newspaper listings; 2) TV Guide (either paper copy or
However, news and sports are exempt from the online); 3) local cable guides; and 4) on-screen cable
TV ratings system. In addition, some categories of program guides. Additionally, some television broad-
programming, such as religious and home shopping cast and cable networks list the program ratings on
programs, do not typically carry a rating. their web sites.

Are movies that air on TV rated? Does a program carry the same rating
Made-for-TV movies are rated using the TV Parental week after week?
Guidelines. Theatrical movies are typically edited when Programs are rated by episode and, therefore, may
they air on broadcast or basic cable channels. The carry a different rating based on the content.
broadcast or cable network cuts content from the movie
according to the channel’s standards. After the movie
has been modified, it is given a TV Parental Guideline Why would a program be rated
rating. Premium cable networks like HBO and Show- differently when being aired on
time run uncut theatrical movies. These movies carry different channels?
the original MPAA movie rating, in addition to supple-
Programs are often edited for content when being aired
mental content advisories provided by the network.
on different channels and would be rated accordingly.
 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ABOUT THE TV RATINGS (continued)

What is syndicated programming, Will the February 17, 2009 transition

and how is it rated? to digital-only broadcasts from local
Syndicated programs are those programs such as talk stations impact the ratings system?
shows, game shows, and reruns of dramas and sitcoms The ratings system and your ability to use parental
first run by broadcast or cable networks, which are control tools will not be affected by the transition to
then licensed and aired by secondary outlets, such digital television. However, in order to ensure that your
as local television stations. The distributor of such television service is uninterrupted, you may need to
programs is usually responsible for rating them. take steps to prepare your household to receive a
digital signal. For more information, please visit
Are commercials rated? Can http://www.dtvtransition.org.
commercials be blocked?
Television advertising is not rated, and therefore, Where do I send complaints about a
cannot be blocked. program’s rating?
The TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board is respon-
Are network promotions rated? sible for ensuring that the ratings are applied accu-
rately and consistently. Individuals can contact the
Network promotions are advertisements for a specific Board via mail, phone, or e-mail to voice complaints.
daily or weekly program or block of programs. Many
promotions display the rating that the program will carry.

Do newspapers carry the TV Parental

Guidelines?
A number of newspapers print the rating next to the
program name and scheduled time in the listing guide.
If your local newspaper does not list the TV ratings, call
and ask that it do so.
 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ABOUT THE V-CHIP

Is there a V-Chip in every television? What type of programming does the

The V-Chip is in every television set 13 inches or larger V-Chip block?
manufactured after January 2000 and some sets sold The V-Chip can block programming by age-based cate-
after July 1, 1999. This means if you bought a new gory or content label. For instance, if you want to block
television set after July 1, 1999, it is most likely all TV-14 programs, you can do so by selecting TV-14.
equipped with a V-Chip. If you only want to block TV-14 programs with intense
violence (i.e., the program carries a “V” content label),
How do I program and activate the you can select TV-14-V. You should also know that
when you block a particular age-based rating, all cate-
V-Chip?
gories above that will be blocked. For example, if you
Each television set’s V-Chip works a little differently. block TV-14 programs, all TV-MA programs will also be
Once you understand the definition of each rating and blocked.
content label, programming and activating the V-Chip
is as simple as following the set-up procedure, which
can be found in one of two places: 1) the television Can the V-Chip block out motion
on-screen menu options or 2) the written instruction pictures that carry the MPAA rating?
guide included in the owner’s manual. The V-Chip will Yes. The V-Chip also allows you to block uncut motion
only be activated if you select the option to do so. pictures that carry the original MPAA rating. Motion
pictures that are uncut and unedited typically run on
How do I ensure that my child will not premium channels (e.g. HBO and Showtime).
de-activate the V-Chip?
To activate the V-Chip, a password is required. This Can I override the V-Chip settings if
identification number acts as the password to activate, I want to watch a program?
de-activate, and change the settings of the V-Chip. Yes, you can turn the V-Chip off by entering the pass-
word and following the directions provided on your TV
Does the V-Chip turn off when I turn set. You can reactivate the V-Chip the same way.
my television off?
Turning the television off will not turn off the V-Chip. It How do I change the settings on my
will continue to block programs when the television is V-Chip?
turned on again. Your settings can be changed at any time by entering
in the password and following the directions provided
What if I forget my V-Chip password? on your TV set.

Your TV’s operating manual should have instructions on

reprogramming your password. Most will offer two op-
tions: a customer service number to call or instructions
in the operating manual that explain how to create a
new password.
 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ABOUT OTHER PARENTAL CONTROLS

Do other parental control tools exist in Do satellite services offer additional

addition to the V-Chip? parental control tools?
Additional parental control tools are also available Yes, satellite services also offer the option to limit
through cable set-top boxes and satellite services, programming based on rating and channel, as well as
which will often allow you to block programs by chan- options to limit television viewing hours and establish
nel, title, rating, or time/date. For more information, spending limits on pay-per-view services. For instruc-
please visit the Using Parental Control Tools page or tions for specific satellite services, please visit
the Resources page on www.tvguidelines.org. www.thetvboss.org or the Resources page on
www.tvguidelines.org.
Are additional tools available through
cable set-top boxes?
Yes, most set-top boxes allow parents to block pro-
grams by channel, title, rating, time and date. You
can also block pay-per-view and video on demand
purchases. The “Menu” or “Settings” options will
often provide instructions for blocking programs, or
visit www.thetvboss.org or the Resources page on
www.tvguidelines.org for more detailed instructions.

CONTACT US

The television industry is pleased to provide the TV Parental Guidelines as a public

service and welcomes your feedback. The TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring
Board handles public comments and information on the rating system.

For further information about the Guidelines, write, call, or e-mail:

TV Parental Guidelines
Post Office Box 14097
Washington, DC 20004
202-879-9364
[email protected]