With the amount of programming available to the average television viewer constantly growing, it has become much more difficult to monitor what our kids watch. The television ratings system was developed to help parents make better-informed choices about what they want their kids to see.
It works like this: for the first 15 seconds of a program, the label for the appropriate rating appears in the top right hand corner. These ratings apply to all programs except news and sports programming and there are even special ratings for children’s programs. The following list will help you understand the ratings system better.
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Children All Ages - Programs designed for children of all ages. Whether animated or live-action, these programs are specifically designed for a very young audience. They are not expected to frighten younger children. |
 | Children Over 7 - Programs designed for children over the age of seven. It may be more appropriate for children who have acquired the developmental skills needed to distinguish between make believe and reality. |
 | Fantasy Violence - Programs containing fantasy violence, which is more intense than TV-Y7 programs. |
 | General Audience - Although this rating does not signify a program designed specifically for children, most parents may let younger children watch this program unattended. It contains little or no violence, no strong language and little or no sexual dialogue or situations. |
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Parental Guidance Suggested - This program contains material that parents may find unsuitable for younger children. Many parents may want to watch it with their younger children. The program may contain one or more of the following: moderate violence (V), some sexual situations (S), infrequent coarse language (L) or some suggestive dialogue (D). |
 | Parents Strongly Cautioned - This program contains some material that parents may find unsuitable for children under 14. Parents are strongly urged to monitor these programs and are cautioned against letting children under 14 watch unattended. This program contains one or more of the following: intense violence (V), intense sexual situations (S), strong coarse language (L) or intensely suggestive dialogue (D). |
 | Mature Audiences Only - This program is specifically designed for adults and may not be suitable for children under 17. This program contains one or more of the following: graphic violence (V), explicit sexual activity (S), or crude indecent language (L). |
In order for the TV ratings system to work, parents must be responsible for their children’s viewing schedule. The system is simply a tool to make better informed parents. For information on how digital cable can provide advanced parental control solutions click here.
For more information on the television ratings system visit the National Cable Television Association web site - www.controlyourtv.org.
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