TV Watch Reminds Parents #SafeTV is Easy as 1-2-3

TV Watch Reminds Parents #SafeTV is Easy as 1-2-3

New Campaign Unveils Infographic and Pinterest Campaign

CHARLESTON, SC (March 14, 2013) – As parents face an ever-increasing array of entertainment options for their children, TV Watch is launching #SafeTV, an educational campaign to remind parents that when it comes to television content, taking control is as easy as 1-2-3.  The #SafeTV campaign activates parents to action through local and national groups and by asking TV Watch members to share a number of new resources through their social networks and local communities.

“As parents, we have the responsibility of making decisions about what is appropriate for children based on our own tastes, values and the children’s age.  While today’s parents have a great deal more content from which to choose, keeping children safe when it comes to television content remains as simple as 1-2-3,” said TV Watch Executive Director Jim Dyke.  “In numerous studies, one thing has remained consistent – parents use tools, such as the V-Chip and content ratings, and are overwhelmingly satisfied with their effectiveness.  For those parents who wish to learn more about their options, this campaign is a very simple way to educate themselves.”

TV Watch, a broad-based coalition consisting of 19 individuals and organizations representing more than 4 million Americans, is unveiling new resources to help parents spread the word about how simple it is to utilize the parental controls and content ratings including:

• 1-2-3 Safe Infographic: Based on the group’s “1-2-3 Safe TV” tutorial, the infographic charts the course for safe television viewing and is sharable across social networks and embeddable on websites.  TV Watch is also offering free printed, poster versions of the infographic to local church, school and community groups for distribution.
• Pinterest: The new TV Watch Pinterest page will feature TV Watch infographics and other helpful boards for parents and others to share and utilize.

As the leading national organization to promote parental controls and individual choices as an alternative to increased government regulation of TV content, TV Watch advocates for the 87 percent of parents who do a better job of protecting their kids than the government, according to TV Watch research.

In April, the TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board, a group comprised of both networks and third parties, delivered key findings of a survey that showed:

• 72 percent of parents report having rules about TV use;
• 68 percent of parents say they use the TV ratings system;
• 88 percent of parents are aware that the TV ratings system provides guidance based on the age of the child;
• 36 percent of parents use either a V-Chip or cable/satellite-provided parental controls and
• 95 percent of parents who use the ratings most often find them helpful.

These findings are consistent with a January 2012 poll released from Rasmussen Reports that showed:

• Among those with children at home, 60 percent say the current TV rating system is an effective way to warn users. 
• 73 percent of those with children at home say the rating has an impact on their decision to watch the show (makes them more or less likely to watch it). 

About TV Watch
TV Watch was launched in May 2005 and is the leading national organization to promote parental controls and individual choices as an alternative to increased government regulation of TV content.  TV Watch is a nonpartisan coalition of 19 individuals and organizations including legal and entertainment experts and political and consumer organizations representing more than four million Americans.  For more information about TV Watch, visit www.TelevisionWatch.org.