CHARLESTON, SC (September 25, 2009) – All across the country, families have been settling into a new school year, adjusting to new schedules, new classes and new daylight hours.  As this school year also corresponds with a new television season, TV Watch is launching “Parent-to-Parent,” a campaign to raise awareness with parents about the information and technology they have to ensure their children are viewing television programs consistent with their age, taste and value.   

The campaign will work to activate parents through local and national groups, along with TV Watch members reaching out to neighbors and friends.  The campaign will distribute and make available for distribution the “Television Tools for Parents 101” tutorial which outlines the television ratings and takes parents through the simple process of activating parental controls.  As part of the campaign, TV Watch will utilize 27 coalition members representing more than 4 million Americans by encouraging them to consider three specific actions:

• Set the parental controls on the televisions in children’s rooms.  According to Nielsen, the average number of TV sets per household is three – an increase of one TV over the last ten years.  Fifty-two percent of kids have a TV set in their room, according to the Kaiser Foundation.  Setting the parental controls on those TV’s is an easy way to maintain control.

• When your child is going to a friend’s house, inform the other parents about your rating standard.  According to a TV Watch survey, 73 percent of parents monitor what their children watch on TV.  While many parents are comfortable monitoring what their children watch in their own home, they might have concerns when it comes time for an afternoon or overnight visit at a friend’s house.  A simple phone call, email or note is a great way to make sure values are protected outside your home. Parents can also fill out TV Watch’s free Parent-To-Parent Information card that allows them to easily pass along this information.

• Recommend “Television Tools for Parents 101” to other parents so they understand the ratings and, if they choose, how to set their parental controls.  “Television Tools for Parents 101” is an online tutorial found at www.TelevisionWatch.org that explains the content ratings, parental controls and gives tips that empower parents to take control of the programming their families watch.  The tutorial can also be downloaded, emailed and printed so that parents can easily share it with other parents.

“With a new school year comes a tremendous amount of changes.  Parents are always faced with difficult decisions, but with new schedules comes new rules.  TV Watch hopes to help parents spread the word that the ratings and parental controls are easy and effective,’” said Jim Dyke, Executive Director of TV Watch.  “Throughout all these changes, one thing that remains constant is the importance of ensuring that children watch shows consistent with each family’s own taste, values and style.”

TV Watch opposes government control of TV programming and promotes the use of tools like content ratings and parental controls. The Parent-To-Parent campaign is part of a series of educational tutorials offered by TV Watch.  Others include “Easy As Toast,” “1-2-3 Safe TV,” “Spring Clean Your TV” and the Spanish-language, “TV Control.”  TV Watch educates parents about existing tools to manage their families’ TV viewing and gives a voice to the 69 percent of parents who believe that it is not the role of the government to decide television content but that more parental involvement is key.

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 27 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 or contact Adam Temple at (843) 722-9670.