Targeting kids with junk food advertisements is a well-known problem in the United States. But this country isn't the only place it happens. In Australia, the Obesity Policy Coalition (OPC) is voicing its displeasure with the new Children's Television Standards draft by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, which fails to adequately protect the interests of children by not imposing a ban or limits on junk food advertising duing peak television viewing times for children.

A recent report from the National Cancer Institute supports what the government has concluded for years; tobacco marketing and depictions of smoking in movies promotes smoking by youths. The report, entitled "The Role of the Media in Promoting and Reducing Tobacco Use", presents analysis of more than 1,000 scientific studies regarding the media and how it can both encourage and discourage tobacco use.

Another study has called into question the effectiveness of America's movie rating system. Researchers at the Dartmouth Medical School have found that a large number of children under 15 (nearly 13% of the estimated 22 million youth in the U.S.) are exposed to graphic depictions of violence in films. The study uses data from a national 2003 telephone survey of kids ages 10 to 14 and looks at exposure to the 40 most violent films.

Congressmen Lee Terry (R-NE) and Jim Matheson (D-UT) recently introduced a bill to the United States Congress that makes it unlawful for children to purchase games rated AO (Adults Only) or M (Mature). See Congressman Terry's web site to learn more about this proposed legislation.

After robbing and murdering a taxi driver, a teenager in Thailand admitted that he was trying to recreate a scene from the "Grand Theft Auto" video game. In response, one Thai video game distributor halted sales of the game. Reuters reports more on the incident here.

At a recent Media Institute luncheon speech in Washington, D.C., FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein called on the commission to take a more proactive role in protecting America’s children from unhealthy media content. To learn more about the actions he is proposing, see this article from Broadcasting & Cable.

This month, a video game bill aimed at protecting children has been signed into law by New York Governor David Patterson. New York now requires labels for violent content in video games that are already rated as well as parent-controlled lockout features on consoles by 2010. In addition, the law also establishes an advisory council to study the link between violent media and violence in children who are exposed to it.

In 2004, when singer Janet Jackson's now notorious "wardrobe malfunction" aired on CBS during the Super Bowl halftime show, the network filed an appeal in response to the FCC's $550,000 penalty. This past Monday, a federal appeals court tossed out the fine. The Parents Television Council has condemned this ruling and is asking supporters to take action. See the PTC's web site to learn about how you can help protect the airways from indecent content.

How accurate is the MPAA's rating system? Not very, say many parents. While some movies with content deemed inappropriate for kids gets an obvious R-rating, other movies with similar content squeak by with a PG or PG-13 rating. See this article from mlive.com to explore the flaws of the MPAA system.

Recently, Nintendo's Wii, which features interactive sports games like skiing and bowling, caught flack for telling a young girl in Britain that she was fat. Now, the Wii is again getting a bad rap from parents for a new game. Later this month, Wii plans to introduce "Frat Party Games: Beer Pong", which simulates a real drinking game and has been approved for children as young as 13.