PTC backing Senator Brownback’s game bill

Parent Television Council - Image 1While the Truth in Video Game Ratings Act by Senator (and 2008 presidential aspirant) Sam Brownback is still picking up steam, legislators backing the bill appear to have gained a new ally. The Parents Television Council (PTC) group has recently announced that in line with its advocacy for family-friendly television, it is now backing Senator Brownback’s bill.

Twenty percent of the complaints lodged against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) were filed through the PTC. Gamers in particular may also recognize this group when it campaigned alongside the Commercial Free Childhood group (CCFC) to have M-rated game ads removed from buses in Portland, Oregon, and Chicago (that leaves alcohol, cigarette, and R-rated movie ads…).

Getting back on topic, current PTC president Timothy F. Winter said via press release that they were siding with Senator Brownback, further noting that they saw a “clear conflict of interest” when game producers intentionally left out game segments they did not want to be reviewed. This move signals the PTC’s early frays into the world of videogaming, with its earlier campaigns most visible in monitoring television shows. It remains to be seen how this will affect the pending bill, all the more in light of recent attempts at gaming legislation, or the ESRB‘s recent call for full-time raters.

Parent Television Council - Image 1While the Truth in Video Game Ratings Act by Senator (and 2008 presidential aspirant) Sam Brownback is still picking up steam, legislators backing the bill appear to have gained a new ally. The Parents Television Council (PTC) group has recently announced that in line with its advocacy for family-friendly television, it is now backing Senator Brownback’s bill.

Twenty percent of the complaints lodged against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) were filed through the PTC. Gamers in particular may also recognize this group when it campaigned alongside the Commercial Free Childhood group (CCFC) to have M-rated game ads removed from buses in Portland, Oregon, and Chicago (that leaves alcohol, cigarette, and R-rated movie ads…).

Getting back on topic, current PTC president Timothy F. Winter said via press release that they were siding with Senator Brownback, further noting that they saw a “clear conflict of interest” when game producers intentionally left out game segments they did not want to be reviewed. This move signals the PTC’s early frays into the world of videogaming, with its earlier campaigns most visible in monitoring television shows. It remains to be seen how this will affect the pending bill, all the more in light of recent attempts at gaming legislation, or the ESRB‘s recent call for full-time raters.

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