Study: TV ratings a ‘sham’
Families who use television ratings to guide their TV viewing habits are relying on a “sham” system that doesn’t work, a new study asserts. The Parents Television Council study of 546 hours of primetime broadcast programming found that 67 percent of the time the show contained offensive programming without the proper content label. For instance, the program may have had sexual content but no “S” label to warn viewers. The V-Chip relies on television ratings, which the Parents Television Council says are useless. Each program is given a rating, such as “TV-G,” “TV-PG,” “TV-14” and “TV-MA,” along with letters warning viewers of offensive content. For example, an “S” refers to sexual content, a “V” to violence, an “L” to language and a “D” to suggestive dialogue. “The ratings system is a sham meant to keep Congress at bay while Hollywood continues to pump more and more of its toxic content into America’s homes,” the study noted. “… The V-Chip cannot be relied upon to consistently block offensive programs because parents cannot rely on the ratings to correctly identify problematic content.” The problem, the study pointed out, is that the ratings are done by the networks themselves. “Networks are financially motivated to underrate their programs because a more restrictive rating could scare off advertisers,” the study said.
Stetzer to direct LifeWay Research
Three Southern Baptist entities – LifeWay Christian Resources, the North American Mission Board and the International Mission Board – have forged a collaborative research effort in which LifeWay Research will conduct special research projects on behalf of the two mission boards. As part of the new initiative, Ed Stetzer, missiologist and senior director of the Center for Missional Research at NAMB, will become director of LifeWay Research, effective June 1. Stetzer also will serve as LifeWay’s missiologist in residence. LifeWay president and CEO Thom Rainer launched LifeWay Research in February 2006 to equip church leaders with insight and advice that leads to greater levels of church health and effectiveness. Under Stetzer’s leadership, LifeWay Research will provide information that will support both NAMB’s and the IMB’s church-planting and evangelistic efforts worldwide. Southern Baptist Convention president Frank Page expressed his support of the action. “I cannot think of a better example of cooperation and coordination than this strategic move,” Page said. “Dr. Stetzer is one of the foremost missiologist researchers in our nation. I congratulate him and commend LifeWay, NAMB and the IMB for this joint endeavor.” – BP
True Love Waits to expand anti-AIDS initiative
True Love Waits International will expand its abstinence-until-marriage message in six African countries, utilizing $950,000 in donor gifts to LifeWay Christian Resources’ “A Defining Moment” capital campaign, LifeWay president Thom Rainer announced April 11. “Although HIV/AIDS is a concern worldwide, the most concentrated and high-risk area continues to be the continent of Africa, where the life expectancy in some countries has dropped from age 42 to as low as age 30,” Rainer said. “We are very pleased to make this announcement today because we believe True Love Waits can be the answer for the AIDS epidemic on the entire continent.” Mike Arrington, a spokesman for the LifeWay capital campaign, voiced appreciation for “gifts of generous donors to A Defining Moment,” enabling True Love Waits to expand “in a continent where AIDS is literally a life-and-death battle.” Since its introduction in Uganda 13 years ago, True Love Waits has been a catalyst for bringing people together to address the AIDS problem and spread the message of biblical purity to schools, youth groups and communities. Uganda’s HIV/AIDS infection rate dropped from 30 percent to about 6 percent of the country’s 25 million people.