Parents Television Council - Because Our Children Are Watching

PTC Presents “PTC Integrity in Entertainment Award” to Tim Conway

The Parents Television Council® presented Actor Tim Conway with its “PTC Integrity in Entertainment Award,” which recognizes those individuals and corporations who have demonstrated a longstanding commitment to creating, distributing and sponsoring quality entertainment that is free from graphic and gratuitous sex, violence and profanity. Mr. Conway is also a PTC Advisory Board member. ► more

Fox’s American Dad Features Man Masturbating a Horse

PTC Calls on Members to File Indecency Complaints with FCC

The Parents Television Council® is urging its members to file indecency complaints with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about Fox’s “American Dad,” which featured a man masturbating a horse during the Sunday, January 3 episode. The program aired at 9:30 pm ET/PT and 8:30 pm CT/MT, which falls during the hours when indecent content is prohibited on broadcast television. ► more

PTC Names the Best and Worst TV Sponsors
Holiday Shoppers Asked to Vote with Their Wallets and Support Responsible Companies

The Parents Television Council® released its annual list of the “Top Ten Best and Worst Advertisers” for the 2008-2009 television season. Companies were ranked based on content in television shows that they chose to underwrite with their advertising dollars. The companies on the best list predominantly sponsored family-friendly TV programs, while those on the worst list supported shows containing objectionable content including foul language, violence and sexual themes and images. ► more

Best	Worst
General Mills Clorox Company Coca-Cola Ford Motor Company Wal-Mart Collective Brands (Brand: Payless ShoeSource) Colgate Palmolive J.C. Penney State Farm Insurance Kmart	Yum! Brands General Motors Sprint Nextel Corporation Unilever USA (Brands: Axe Body Spray, Degree, Dove, Lipton, Slim-Fast) Verizon Communications Inc. Apple Burger King DIRECTV Brinker International Restaurants (Brand: Chili’s) AT&T

PTC: Comcast-NBC Merger is Anti-Family and Anti-Consumer

The Parents Television Council® responded to the proposed $30 billion merger between Comcast and NBC Universal that would result in less choice for families and consumers. PTC called for an exhaustive public interest review by the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission and said the deal stands to destroy the concept of consumer choice.

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PTC Slams ABC for Tasteless “American Music Awards” Broadcast

The Parents Television Council® responded to last night’s broadcast of the “American Music Awards” on ABC calling the show “tasteless” and “vulgar” and asking members to contact ABC, Dick Clark Productions, and the show’s advertisers with complaints. In those areas where the explicit material aired before 10 pm, PTC members are being urged to contact the FCC. ► more

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PTC Asks Microsoft to Stop Sponsoring All Seth MacFarlane Programming

At the annual meeting of Microsoft shareholders, the Parents Television Council® called on the company to discontinue advertising on all Seth MacFarlane programming. PTC praised Microsoft for pulling its sponsorship of a Fox special featuring MacFarlane, creator of “Family Guy” and source of some the most offensive content on the broadcast airwaves, but cited concerns over Microsoft’s ongoing sponsorship of offensive “Family Guy” programs. ► more

PTC Reacts to “Gossip Girl” Threesome Episode

Though there was no explicit sex scene on last night’s episode, the CW Network’s behavior was grossly irresponsible by adding a story line where a sexual threesome was to be celebrated as some sort of ‘rite of passage’ for teenagers. The network inserted this story line into a program that they themselves deem to be appropriate for 14-year-old children based on its content rating. ► more

Women in Peril: PTC Report Finds Increase in Violence Against Females on Television

In a new special report, the Parents Television Council® found that storylines depicting violence against females are increasing and being shown more graphically and in ways that have not been seen in the history of television.

The PTC’s report, Women in Peril: A Look at TV’s Disturbing New Storyline Trend, examined fatal and nonfatal female victimizations on prime time broadcast television and found that there was a significant increase in all forms of female victimization storylines; an increase in the depiction of teen girls as victims; an increase in the use of female victimization as a punch line in comedy series; and an increase in the depiction of intimate partner violence. ► more

PTC: Kudos to Microsoft for Ditching Seth MacFarlane Special
The Parents Television Council® praised Microsoft for pulling its sponsorship of an upcoming Fox special featuring Seth MacFarlane, creator of “Family Guy” and source of some the most offensive content on the broadcast airwaves. Variety reported that Microsoft decided against supporting the show due to content concerns after viewing a taping that included jokes about topics such as the Holocaust and incest. The “Almost Live Comedy Show” was slated to air commercial-free on November 8 with Windows 7 marketing throughout to help promote the new operating system. ► more

No Apologies: NBC Allows Another “F-word” to Air Unbleeped

The "f-word" on Saturday Night Live is just the latest example of NBC telling its audience, its affiliates and its advertisers that it really doesn’t care if harsh profanity like this makes it to air. Remember that NBC still has not come clean about other instances, such as during the Beijing Olympics when a male commentator referred to a female commentator using the "c-word"; and during recent broadcasts of the Today show when the "c-word" and "s-word" were aired. ► more

PTC Applauds Companies That Stopped Sponsoring Graphic Content on Two and a Half Men

Astoundingly, 32% of the 2009 sponsors of Two and a Half Men have stopped advertising on the show. We applaud these companies for exercising responsibility for their sponsorships. Several of the companies that pulled their ads let us know that they shared PTC’s concerns and that the content of the show does not match up with their corporate image. ► more

PTC: FCC Report on TV Blocking Technology Comes Up Short

The Parents Television Council™ criticized the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for failing to provide meaningful answers regarding the shortcomings of the current television ratings system. PTC’s critique follows the release of the FCC’s report on parental controls and blocking technology that was mandated by the Child Safe Viewing Act. ► more

PTC Warns Members About Explicit Comedy Central “Roast of Joan Rivers”

The Parents Television Council is warning its members about the explicit nature of Comedy Central’s “Roast of Joan Rivers,” which will air on Sunday, August 9. Even a one-minute video preview on the Comedy Central web site contains a warning: “Explicit Language, Viewer Discretion is Advised.” ► more