Sign Letter to FCC to Ensure Space for Ratings in DTV
In March of 2006, new federal regulations went into effect that required all DTV receivers to be able to update the content ratings for TV programs. This would allow the current ratings to be updated or new ratings to be introduced.
We are part of a number of organizations who are concerned about a possible lack of space for these updates to TV ratings. Please consider signing onto the letter to the FCC below.
Commissioners Kevin J. Martin, Jonathan S. Adelstein, Michael J. Copps, Robert M. McDowell, and Deborah Taylor Tate
Federal Communications Commission
Dear Commissioners:
[Include an introductory statement about the co-signing organizations - who/what they represent]
In March 2006, the Commission mandated that every digital television must include the capacity to update the content ratings system that powers the V-Chip, which viewers can use to block unwanted programs. This was a highly sensible move, since the existing TV ratings system was a nearly decade old and has been repeatedly criticized as cumbersome and in need of updating. For example, the current system does not allow parents to block programs that glamorize smoking, alcohol abuse or illegal drug use. As well, the present system does not allow for ratings in languages other than English, despite a growing Hispanic population. Finally, several new TV ratings systems have been developed since the present TV Guidelines and MPAA ratings were established, giving viewers a choice rather than forcing them to use the system created over a decade ago.
Ratings systems are carried in Ratings Region Tables (RRT) that are just 1,024 bytes each in size – a miniscule amount of space in today’s memory-rich world of technology. The Commission’s September 2004 (FCC 04-192) ruling specified that "receivers must be able to process newer RRT version numbers or use new rating region codes as suggested by ATSC". The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) A/65 (PSIP) standard allows for up to 256 RRTs to be defined and, at present, just 5 RRTs have been assigned The Consumer Electronics Association’s (CEA) Recommended Practice (CEB-12) to its member CE manufacturers specifies that ATSC-compliant DTV receivers should be designed to support and respond to programs rated for more than one RRT since a content advisory may contain ratings from up to 8 RRTs for each program. We agree with the Commission, ATSC and CEA in all of these specifications and therefore see no reason to restrict receiver design to just 1 additional RRT..
Should the Commission rule that set manufacturers only need to provide 1 additional RRT for ratings updates, it would force broadcasters to choose between the following options, since there would not be space for all of them.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->Translate the existing ratings into Spanish, but add no new advisories or ratings systems
<!--[if !supportLists]-->Add one new system in English and Spanish, but do not translate the existing system into Spanish or add advisories
<!--[if !supportLists]-->Add advisories and one new system in English, but nothing in Spanish
<!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]-->Restrict the information available in these new ratings to such an extent that value to consumers would be minima
The undersigned urge the Commission to not restrict future innovation in these tables to only one very small table. Rather, we encourage you to ensure ample space for future generations to extend the current ratings and develop new ones as they see fit.
Signed,
[To sign onto this letter please contact Dominic Perri of the Coalition for Independent Ratings at dominic@independentratings.org]
To download a copy of this letter please click the link below
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Letter Lack of Space for Ratings.pdf | 51.91 KB |
