Parents Television Council

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The Parents Television Council (PTC) is a US-based nonprofit organization. Among its campaigns include cable choice for family-friendly networks, exposing advertisers that advertise on what they deem objectionable programming, and calling attention to what they see as the disrespect of religion on television. Currently, the PTC accounts for over 99% of complaints filed with the FCC.

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[edit] History

PTC was founded in 1995 by longtime political activist L. Brent Bozell III. Mr. Bozell is Executive Director of the Conservative Victory Committee (CVC), a political action committee that has helped elect dozens of conservative candidates over the past ten years. He was also National Finance Chairman for the 1992 Buchanan for President campaign, and later President of the former National Conservative Political Action Committee (NCPAC). His foundation's activities extend to evaluation, rating, and educating around broadcast TV programs according to a traffic-light system across four axes: Sex, Violence, Profanity and Overall; and the organization of an effective national advocacy effort, to make people aware of what they, themselves, should be offended about.

[edit] WWF lawsuit

In November of 2000, PTC and its former parent organization, Media Research Center were sued by the World Wrestling Federation for false claims, libel, slander, and other charges relating to a campaign which was used to raise funds for the MRC and PTC. The lawsuit was settled out-of-court for $3.5 million in July of 2002. See Media Research Center for more details regarding the lawsuit. At the same time, they were also parodied in the WWF by the Right to Censor group.

[edit] Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show controversy

PTC's prominence became evident after analysis of complaints to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) underlined in Congressional hearings into the Janet Jackson Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy, in which one of Jackson's breasts, covered only by a nipple-shield, was momentarily displayed on network television; FCC chairman Michael Powell stated that the number of indecency complaints to the FCC had risen from 350 in the years 2000 and 2001, to 14,000 in 2002 and 240,000 in 2003.

20% of the complaints lodged with the FCC in 2003 were filed by or through PTC; and discounting Janet Jackson related complaints, 99.8% are made by or through PTC. As a result there is some concern that a single-issue activist group is exerting undue influence on the process of media regulation in the US.

The counterpart to the PTC in the UK is Mediawatch, an organisation apparently having a membership of some 40,000 people, but which has a much smaller impact than its American cousin.

[edit] "Spicy BBQ Six Dollar Burger" controversy

In May 2005 Carl's Jr. introduced its "Spicy BBQ Six Dollar Burger" in a television advertisement featuring celebrity Paris Hilton in a swimsuit, soaping up a Bentley automobile while leaning on it, and then eating the burger.

The Parents Television Council and other media watchdog groups criticized the commercial. Melissa Caldwell, PTC's research director, said, "This commercial is basically soft-core porn. The way she moves, the way she puts her finger in her mouth — it's very suggestive and very titillating." The Los Angeles, California based group says they plan to mobilize more than 1 million members to contact the restaurant chain and voice their concern.

Andy Puzder, CEO of Carl's Jr., says the group needs to "get a life...This isn't Janet Jackson — there is no nipple in this," referring to the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy. He continued, "There is no nudity, there is no sex act — it's a beautiful model in a swimsuit washing a car."

In addition to featuring the ad on their web site, Carl's Jr. has also set up another website playing a longer version of the commercial. A similar ad with Hilton for Hardee's hamburger chain was aired in June 2005.

[edit] National Nip/Tuck Campaign

In 2003, the Parents Television Council urged parents to petition Nip/Tuck for its "unbelievable" content. In 2004, they continued, and pushed harder when a threeway scene aired. In 2005, another threeway scene and a significant increase in sexual content caused the Parents Television Council to push Nip/Tuck into a national campaign, urging advertisers to cease sponsorship of the program. In a letter to the PTC, a Mitsubishi Motors executive responded, “We certainly have no desire to offend consumers with our advertising, which is meant to entertain and inform potential customers about the benefits of purchasing our products. With this in mind, we have decided to discontinue advertising on ‘Nip/Tuck.’”

[edit] References

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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