OCTOBER 2014
A N E W S L E T T E R F O R S U P P O RT E R S O F PA R E N T S T E L E V I S I O N C O U N C I L
New Fall TV More Family-Friendly Than in Recent Past Since 2009, the Parents Television Council® has been providing reviews of the new fall season on broadcast TV and, for the first time in that period, parents have some cause for hope when it comes to programs they can watch with their children.
This fall also sees the return of truly fun and light-hearted action series with genuinely heroic characters. Such programming used to be a staple of TV, and was perfect for casual viewers who just wanted to come home from a long day at work and relax with escapist entertainment, without being bombarded by sex and toilet humor and ultra-graphic violence.
This fall features several new comedies devoted to families. This does not just mean the shows are about families; it also means that All that said, there are still much of the content on many problematic shows this these shows is appropriate fall. While some comedies are for families. Unlike recent family-friendly, others do utilize years, which saw a glut the sex jokes that have, sadly, of shows in which sleazy predominated in recent years. Christopher Gildemeister, Ph.D. remarks about sex made And several new shows have Senior Writer/Editor for up nearly all the so-called a “dark” sensibility and contain Parents Television Council “comedy” (2 Broke Girls, graphic violence. The Mindy Project, t, New Girl , and the But such shows are largely the exception this inappropriately-named Dads and Mom ), this fall, and it does seem that broadcast TV has fall sees more comedies using family-friendly taken a slight turn for humor based on something other than sex. the better. It appears ...parents that broadcast TV is Another point is that several of these new largely over its mania sitcoms address serious concerns, though in have some a humorous manner. Working-class difficulties for raunchy sex cause for comedies and dramas in finding employment, concerns about about serial killers. ethnicity, race, and blending in, and the wildly This provides a note diverse viewpoints held on life by different hope... of hope for families, generations come to the fore in this fall’s many of whom still value parents and children new shows. being able to watch TV together.
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At PTC Major Donor Event, PTC Board Chair D’Amour calls upon Americans to become the vocal majority
PAGE 2 Tim Winter addresses naked tv
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PTC calls out the WORST
PAGES 1, 4 & 5 An in-depth review of this Fall’s best and worst on TV by Christopher Gildemeister, PhD
B E C A U S E O U R C H I L D R E N A R E WAT C H I N G ®
Dating Naked.The name of the show pretty much says it all. This teen-targeted television program is airing on the VH1 basic cable network. VH1 used to air programming about music, but now their schedule is comprised primarily of so-called reality programs that contain graphic, edgy fare. The network is promoting Dating Naked as some sort of sophisticated show about relationships and honesty. But make no mistake, there is nothing sophisticated about this program. Dating Naked is nothing more than a desperate attempt to find a young audience and then titillate the viewers. In the program, male and female participants are invited to a lush, tropical setting where they initiate dating relationships with one another while entirely in the nude. The producers have blurred out the front genital areas, though the blurring does very little to shield the viewer. The participants’ buttocks are not blurred. The dialogue between the dating couples is very explicit, and heavily features sexual conduct.
nation’s leading organization fighting for Cable Choice, which would allow cable subscribers to pick and choose – and pay for – only those cable networks they actually want to bring into their homes. Armed with such an ability, consider how many millions of families would choose NOT to pay for VH1. Currently the cable industry requires us all to buy VH1 if we want to watch sports, news, movies or other programs on basic cable. According to industry estimates, each and every cable customer in the United States pays about 75 cents each and every month to VH1 through their monthly cable bill. That equates to $9 per year per subscriber, and multiplied by nearly 100 million subscribers in the US alone, that gives VH1 almost a billion dollars every year to produce programs like Dating Naked.
Tim Winter, PTC President
VH1 has chosen to rate the program as TV-14, which suggests to parents that the material is appropriate for children as young as 14 years old. And, just as irresponsible, the program is being aired at all times of the day – morning, noon and night – and even when the network knows that children are in the viewing audience. A program like Dating Naked demonstrates the urgent need for Cable Choice. The PTC has been the
VH1 also receives money from advertisers that sponsor Dating Naked. Among the sponsors of recently-aired episodes are Burger King and Taco Bell. You can make a positive difference by contacting these companies and telling them you won’t eat at their restaurants if they continue to underwrite television programming that is harmful to children. We urge you to be aware of harmful programs like Dating Naked. And we urge you to speak out against the program’s sponsors and in favor of Cable Choice. Because our Children are Watching!
Don’t Settle for Shameful TV! Objectification of women. Trivialization of moral issues. Profanity. Gratuitous sexual images. Programs like Jane the Virgin are inappropriate for broadcast television, especially during prime family viewing hours. This, combined with the graphic violence being aired in the fall season’s new shows, is further evidence that our current TV ratings system is broken.Visit our website, www.parentstv.org, to learn more about what we’re doing to fight back and protect our children.
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Hold Them Accountable! TOP 5 WORST Companies Funding TV Shows That Are Harmful To Our Kids
Like the old adage says, “you can’t argue the facts,” so during the 2013-2014 TV Season* we tracked the number of times an advertiser sponsored a TV show on NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX that contained offensive content and aired during a time when our children were likely to be watching.
Shame on McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Toyota for marketing nudity, profanity and violence to our children! Toyota McDonald’s KFC Taco Bell Pizza Hut *Television season (defined as September 1, 2013 – May 31, 2014)
Remember, if the advertising dollars go away, SO DO THE PROGRAMS! Support PTC and restore a safe TV viewing environment for our children as we successfully fight to hold advertisers accountable.
Legendary entertainer and PTC co-founder Steve Allen knew exactly how to combat the rising tide of filth on television. Just as we should do
whenever we fight something evil, the road map is simple: Follow the money. Steve reminded us that television programs require millions of dollars in advertising from corporate sponsors. If the advertising dollars go away, so do the raunchy programs. You can “vote” for more family-friendly TV simply by “voting” with your wallet.
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NEW SEASON. SAME SINS. by Christopher Gildemeister, PhD
I had the opportunity to attend last month’s PaleyFest, an annual festival to preview premiere episodes of the upcoming Fall Season’s new series and to hear discussion panels with many of those shows’ creators. This is just a brief summary of some of what I learned over those four days in LA.
Jane the Virgin
Mondays at 9:00 p.m. ET on CW
BAD
Stalker
Wednesdays at 10:00 p.m. ET on CBS In this deeply disturbing series, an uptight LA policewoman who is a former stalking victim is paired with a womanizing transfer from New York who is currently stalking his ex-girlfriend to track down ultra-violent psychopaths terrorizing innocent victims. Creepy, sinister scenes could give nightmares to adults, let alone young children!
Start with a positive premise: Jane is a 24-year-old woman who is earnest and hardworking. She wants to be a teacher and is putting herself through school by working as a housekeeper in a local hotel. She dates a young police officer, but is openly, and proudly, protecting her virginity. And then, bring in the sex. In language. In pictures. In punch lines. The primary “hook” is that Jane becomes pregnant when she is accidentally artificially inseminated during a routine exam.
Hilarious, right? If you think traditional values are a joke. The biological father is a wealthy hotelier who happens to own the hotel where Jane works, and was also a former teenage crush. His gold-digger wife wants to get pregnant to meet prenuptial requirements…even as she carries on a torrid affair with her husband’s best friend. And that’s just a glimpse. Jane was born out of wedlock to an irresponsible 16-year-old who has since aged, but has not grown up. Mom, who proclaims her daughter the Immaculate Conception, regularly shares tidbits about her current promiscuities and sends her daughter sexually explicit photos of other women’s “boob jobs” and sex acts. Jane’s grandmother, who also lives in the same house, is a narrow-minded matriarch for whom family time means watching steamy telenovelas together. Michael, Jane’s boyfriend, is pressing her for telephone sex. Is this the behavior we want to model for our daughters and granddaughters? The Television Critics Association has already chosen Jane the Virgin as the second Most Promising New Show of the fall TV season. I nominate it as the worst!
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Gotham
Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET on Fox Picture the show “Batman” without the Caped Crusader and magnify its villains with all manner of mature content and you’ll begin to see the gutter of gore that is Gotham. With its graphic violence (blood spurting from slashed throat), salacious language (crude references to sex and masturbation) and psychotic villains, this is anything but an upbeat superhero show.
Marry Me
Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. on NBC A stereotypically stoic male and his predictably drama-queen girlfriend have been dating for years but never married. Now a series of botched marriage proposals set the stage for what could be a study in relationships, but ends up instead a snarky snapshot of shallowness. Profanity, foul language and smutty, mean-spirited humor ensue.
The McCarthys
Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. ET on CBS Stitched together with over-the-top stereotypes – bigoted, basketball coach father and domineering, manipulative mother who parent three young adults: dumb jock son, trashy daughter and, as the centerpiece of humor, gay son with flamingly flamboyant friends – this “tight knit” Boston family is offensive on many levels and funny on none.
Welcome Back! New TV Shows Your Family Might Enjoy This Fall. While much of Hollywood’s focus is on the season’s “fresh and edgy” entries, we’re happy to report we’ve found a few gems that are far more family-friendly.
Madam Secretary
GOOD
Sundays at 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS
Amidst a media atmosphere where expectations for women are confusing and sometimes even offensive and degrading, Madam Secretary presents a good role model for girls. When appointed as Secretary of State, a former college professor and CIA agent must learn to balance her high-profile, high-pressure job with a well-functioning marriage and the responsibilities of mothering a school-age son and daughter. Throw in an international crisis or two and a fast-paced, political environment and you’ll find an appealing image of a strong, competent woman in a position of leadership, who uses her position to do good in the world.
The Flash
Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET on CW When a freak accident with a particle generator transforms a forensic police scientist, it gives him the ability to run at unbelievable speeds. The young man takes on a new, costumed identity and vows to protect Central City, which paves the way to lots of exciting action and fantasy-style special effects. The show is largely upbeat with lots of fastpaced fun and little graphic violence. A superhero drama for the entire family.
Cristela
Fridays at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC Sunny young intern at prestigious law firm faces down co-workers’ ignorance of Latino life at her office and deals with family expectations at home, all with humanity and humor. Show highlights the working-class family in the manner of Roseanne.
A to Z
Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. ET on NBC A romantic comedy in which a quixotic young man who works at an online dating service and a hard-headed lawyer serious about her career work to maintain their relationship.
Red Band Society
Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. ET on Fox The critical care unit of an LA hospital serves as a home for this inspirational drama about teens facing life-threatening illness. In some ways, this is the most family-friendly new program of the entire fall season, dealing sensitively and honestly with the drama of facing death, but with other typical teen concerns. However, the teens are hardly paragons of good behavior. In just the first episode they steal a car, smoke cigarettes and marijuana, and lie about their age to buy beer. There is also a fair amount of crude language used on the show. Parents should be aware that the program may not be appropriate for children or younger teens, but it provides an opportunity for parents to discuss a variety of issues with older teens.
Scorpion
Mondays at 9:00 p.m. ET on CBS New from CBS comes a show that’s smart and action-packed! A team of quirky young experts work together in Homeland Security to solve international crises of the week while also struggling to deal with ordinary people, normal life and their own emotions in this engaging new series. Based on the experiences of the reallife super-genius Walter O’Brien, Scorpion offers lots of action without graphic violence, relationship drama without graphic sex, and makes being smart look cool. Definitely a fun, action show the whole family can enjoy together.
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the payments go to you and your spouse or to other family members. After all payments have been made, what remains in the trust goes to help our mission. So the trust serves you for life in addition to helping us continue our work far into the future. There are also other benefits for you including income and capital gains tax savings.
Creating a plan for your future is important. No one knows that better than us. With your help, our organization can flourish and accomplish so much more. Just look at the many ways your money can not only benefit us but also benefit you by way of income and tax savings. Many people think that because they don’t own enough property, they don’t need a will. But when you add up all of the assets that you own, your estate may be larger than you think. A will can help you decide who will receive your property, appoint an executor to administer your estate and help reduce taxes for your heirs and your estate. A bequest made through your will is one of the easiest ways to help us. Bequests make a dramatic impact on our mission because they create a legacy for you while helping us serve others. Another way you can help might be through the charitable remainder unitrust (CRUT). CRUT is simply a place where you put your assets. It can hold stock, cash, or even real estate. After you transfer your assets to the trust, the trust will typically sell and reinvest them to produce income. If the assets in your trust grow, the trust payments will also grow over time. The choice is yours as to whether
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of a gift annuity don’t stop with the lifetime of payments.
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A growing number of donors are learning about the benefits of a charitable gift annuity because of all the advantages it brings as a stable and predictable way to receive significant financial benefits through charitable giving. When you fund a charitable gift annuity, you receive income from us for the rest of your life and the payments never change no matter what the economy does. The benefits of a gift annuity don’t stop with the lifetime of payments. You will receive an income tax deduction for making a gift to us. You could also receive a portion of your payment tax-free. After all payments have been made to you, what remains automatically goes to support our mission.
“We need to stop being a silent majority and be a vocal majority!” Since the beginning of time, an adult’s role has been to teach by example. As responsible adults our duty is to teach children the importance of self-discipline, integrity and the merits of hard work. Sadly, in today’s world, a parent’s job is even more difficult because of the all-pervasive bad messages and “role models” our children are exposed to in most of today’s media. Is media violence and sexualization our only reason why children find it OK to use violence when things don’t go their way? NO…but it is a huge piece of the cancerous puzzle pervading our society and we need to work to “cure” our piece of that “cancer.” It is eating away at the souls of our children. Michele D’Amour, Board Chair for PTC, has served on many boards and committees over the years and has a long record of philanthropy, primarily focused on education and the arts. Along with her husband, Mrs. D’Amour demonstrates her commitment to education and the arts through many philanthropic gifts. Anyone can choose to be a philanthropist. A philanthropist can be someone who donates large sums of money for the public good or a few dollars to their favorite charity or who joins a cause to raise money for research. There’s nothing more gratifying than making a difference, especially to a cause or concern of particular importance to you!
At the most recent 4EveryGirl event, Mrs. D’Amour challenged the guests to demonstrate their philanthropy in two significant ways. First, be vocal. Let your media providers, advertisers and elected officials know of your discontent. It IS as simple as that! Secondly, please look into your hearts and consider a generous gift to enable us to continue our battle. In that regard, Michele D’Amour pledged to match the first $500,000 raised that evening.
Michele D’Amour, PTC Board Chair
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It’s a huge
piece of the cancerous puzzle that is eating away at
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our society.
All of us at PTC thank Mrs. D’Amour for her continued support and generosity.
Why should you give?
Yet so many people are reticent to even open the conversation. Often it’s one of three common concerns that holds them back. “I don’t know how to get started.” Most of us want our help to be wanted (even asked for), but we don’t want to feel pressured. At PTC, we try to keep the door – and lines – open so you can begin a conversation whenever you’re ready. “I’m not sure what commitment I could make.”
There’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all. One of the benefits of conversation is that we can learn more about what’s important to you, and you can learn more about the range of options that might fit. “I’d want to know how it’s used.” Our reputation for good stewardship is welldeserved. As a part of the conversation, we want to find out what information you want and need in the months and years to come. So, if you’ve ever wondered if you could do more, “Can we talk?” Please call one of our donor services representatives at (800) 882-6868 and mention code Insider10.
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Tim Winter, President of the PTC, was joined by Rick Santorum, former U.S. Senator and CEO of EchoLight Studios, and Bill Abbott, President and CEO of Crown Media Family Networks, to discuss the importance of family-friendly entertainment. Winter, Abbott and Santorum said stemming the output of negative messages is an uphill battle, since entertainment today contains so much graphic sex, violence and profanity. However, there is a tremendous market for television that honors family values, and “We are grateful for people like Bill and Rick who provide positive entertainment options for families,” Winter said. “We can curse Abbott explained that California-based Crown Media gets pushed constantly to produce edgy, dark and sexualized content. But as a company aligned with what it calls moral clarity and a mission of limiting harmful messages and images, Crown Media pushes back.
Left to right Bill Abbott, Crown Media Family Networks; Bob Zeidman, PTC Board; Michele D’Amour, PTC Board Chair; Former Senator Rick Santorum, EchoLight Studios; Phil Friedmann, PTC Board; Tim Winter, PTC President
EchoLight Studios produces faith-based, family-friendly movies and, working with Crown Media Family Networks, has helped in the airing of 50 new Hallmark Channel original movies this year. “We’re trying to light a candle in the darkness,” Santorum said. “It’s a lonely battle, but it’s a battle that has to be fought.”
Bill Abbott, Former Senator Rick Santorum
Former Senator Rick Santorum
Left to right Bob Zeidman; Meaghan Hogan, Carley Meyer and Greg Klipstein, PNC Bank
Left to right Bob Zeidman,Tim Winter, Former Senator Rick Santorum, Jay French, Michele D’Amour
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