SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This is a summary of the Media Bureau's Public Notice entitled FCC's Media Bureau Seeks Comment on Further Empowering Parents to Protect their Children and Make Informed Choices about the TV Programs their Children Watch in MB Docket No. 19-41, DA 26-392, that was released April 22, 2026. The full text of this document is available for public inspection online at https://docs.fcc.gov/​public/​attachments/​DA-26-392A1.pdf and via the search function on the Commission's Electronic Document Management System (EDOCS) web page at https://www.fcc.gov/​edocs. Alternative formats are available for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format, etc.) and reasonable accommodations (accessible format documents, sign language interpreters, CART, etc.) may be requested by sending an email to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice).

Ex Parte Rules—Permit-But-Disclose. This proceeding shall be treated as a “permit-but-disclose” proceeding in accordance with the Commission's ex parte rules. Persons making ex parte presentations must file a copy of any written presentation or a memorandum summarizing any oral presentation within two business days after the presentation (unless a different deadline applicable to the Sunshine period applies). Persons making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that memoranda summarizing the presentation must (1) list all persons attending or otherwise participating in the meeting at which the ex parte presentation was made, and (2) summarize all data presented and arguments made during the presentation.

If the presentation consisted in whole or in part of the presentation of data or arguments already reflected in the presenter's written comments, memoranda, or other filings in the proceeding, the presenter may provide citations to such data or arguments in his or her prior comments, memoranda, or other filings (specifying the relevant page and/or paragraph numbers where such data or arguments can be found) in lieu of summarizing them in the memorandum. Documents shown or given to Commission staff during ex parte meetings are deemed to be written ex parte presentations and must be filed ( printed page 23991) consistent with rule 1.1206(b). Written ex parte presentations and memoranda summarizing oral ex parte presentations, and all attachments thereto, must, when feasible, be filed through the electronic comment filing system in the docket established for this proceeding, and must be filed in their native format ( e.g.,.doc, .xml, .ppt, searchable .pdf). Participants in this proceeding should familiarize themselves with the Commission's ex parte rules.

Filing Requirements—Comments and Replies. Interested parties may file comments and reply comments on or before the dates indicated on the first page of this document. Comments may be filed using the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS).

• Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically using the internet by accessing the ECFS: https://www.fcc.gov/​ecfs.
• Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file an original and one copy of each filing. Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial courier, or by the U.S. Postal Service. All filings must be addressed to the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission.

○ Hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission's Secretary are accepted between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. by the FCC's mailing contractor at 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes and boxes must be disposed of before entering the building.

○ Commercial courier deliveries (any deliveries not by the U.S. Postal Service) must be sent to 9050 Junction Drive, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701.

○ Filings sent by U.S. Postal Service First-Class Mail, Priority Mail, and Priority Mail Express must be sent to 45 L Street NE, Washington, DC 20554.

Synopsis

Over the years, Congress and the FCC have acted to empower parents to determine the type of television programming that is appropriate for their children. Indeed, in 1996, Congress found that television programming has a “uniquely pervasive presence in the lives of American children” and “influences children's perceptions of the values and behavior that are common and acceptable in society.” Congress then determined that parents should be provided with timely information about the nature of upcoming video programming and have the ability to block violent, sexual, or other programming that parents believe is harmful to their children.

In passing this legislation, Congress provided the relevant television and video programming industries with an option. They could establish their own voluntary system for rating video programming or the Commission could establish a ratings system itself. Industry representatives chose to set up their own voluntary system, and the Commission in 1998 found that industry's approach met the relevant statutory criteria. As a result, industry established the TV Oversight Management Board (TVOMB), and developed the TV Parental Guidelines age ratings system that prevails today. The voluntary TV Parental Guidelines overseen by the TVOMB, if properly implemented, can be useful to ensure parents are adequately informed about video programming on television that their children may be exposed to.

The industry's system allows for the display of specific ratings for programs. Programs that are designed to be appropriate for all children, including very young ones, are rated TV-Y. Programs that are designed to be appropriate for children age 7 and above are rated TV-Y7. Programs that are not specifically designed for children but are nonetheless suitable for all ages are rated TV-G. The industry's system also includes ratings for TV-PG, TV-14, and TV-MA. The TV Parental Guidelines also allow content descriptors to be included with the rating, including descriptors to let parents know that programs have sexually suggested dialog (D), fantasy violence (FV), coarse or crude language (L), sexual situations (S), and/or violence (V). The 1996 law also required TV manufacturers to develop technology that allows parents to block material rated as violent, sexual, or otherwise flagged by the ratings system.

Today, both the traditional broadcast TV sector, multichannel video programming distribution services (MVPDs) ( i.e., cable and satellite), and streaming platforms use the voluntary ratings system. In recent years, however, significant concerns have been raised about the ratings system. For instance, commenters have raised concerns with the FCC about the accuracy of the ratings, the appropriateness of the ratings, and a shift or ratings creep in which mature, adult, or inappropriate content is being rated as appropriate for young children. The FCC wants to ensure that the ratings system continues to serve the purpose that Congress had in mind, empowering parents to make informed decisions for their children.

Recently, parents have raised concerns that controversial gender identity issues are being included or promoted in children's programs without providing any disclosure or transparency to parents. Specifically, the industry guidelines that parents rely on are rating shows with transgender and gender non-binary programming as appropriate for children and young children, and doing so without providing this information to parents, thereby undermining the ability of parents to make informed choices for their families. Consistent with Congress's vision for the ratings system, we seek comment on whether the industry's approach is continuing to provide the information that is relevant to parents today.

By passing the relevant legislation in 1996, Congress acted to protect the right of parents to decide when and how to discuss mature topics with their children, and to know if and when their children are being exposed to these topics in their TV viewing. Accordingly, we seek comment here on any changes that can or should be made to the current ratings system to ensure that it is responsive to the issues that parents confront today. This includes any changes that may make sense for the TVOMB to ensure that it is representative of a range of family values. We also ask how ratings can be applied consistently across broadcast, MVPDs, and streaming platforms.

Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2019, Congress asked the Commission to report on the accuracy of the voluntary rating system and on the ability of the TVOMB to oversee the ratings system and address public concerns. Following public notice and comment, the Media Bureau submitted a report (2019 Report) to the Committees on Appropriations of the House and Senate.

Accessibility and Transparency of TVOMB. In the 2019 Report, the Bureau made the following suggestions for Board and industry consideration related to increasing accessibility and transparency to the public and increasing awareness of the Board's role:

• TVOMB should increase efforts to promote public awareness of TVOMB and its role in overseeing the rating system. As part of this suggestion, the Bureau urged TVOMB and industry to increase outreach efforts concerning the existence of the rating system and to consider additional ways to publicize the ability of the public to file complaints with TVOMB and provide instructions on how to file complaints.
• TVOMB should consider ways to inform the public of the number of complaints it receives, the nature of the complaints, the program and network or ( printed page 23992) producer involved, and any action taken by TVOMB or the industry in response to the complaints. The Bureau noted that the Board could consider issuing an annual report on the complaints it has received, how they were adjudicated, and whether they led to the rating of a program being changed for future airings.
• TVOMB should hold at least one public meeting annually to seek direct public input.

Accuracy of TV Ratings System. The Bureau also made the following suggestions with regard to the accuracy of the ratings being applied pursuant to the TV Parental Guidelines:

• TVOMB should consider random audits or spot checks to analyze the accuracy and consistency of the ratings in addition to the survey data it already collects.
• TVOMB should use this combined data to determine if any changes are needed to the ratings system to ensure they are as helpful as possible to viewers.

The Media Bureau seeks comment on whether and how the Bureau's suggestions, both regarding increased transparency of the TVOMB and accuracy of TV ratings, have been implemented. How does the TVOMB engage with the public and are the steps taken sufficient? Is the composition of the board sufficiently balanced to represent a broad range of stakeholders outside of the entertainment industry? What more could the board do to include family-oriented perspectives, which are not well represented in the media industry, in its ratings process? Should additional faith-based organizations be represented on the TVOMB? Does the current complaint process provide for meaningful public participation?

Is the general public aware of the ratings system and how to provide feedback to the TVOMB? Is the general public aware that the V-chip can be used with the ratings system to block unwanted video programming from reaching children? Do descriptions of the content provide a sufficient basis for parents to make informed decisions concerning viewing decisions for their family, including when gender identity themes are discussed or displayed?

Are parents aware that children watching programs rated TV-Y, TV-Y7, and TV-G may contain the discussion or promotion of gender identity themes? Should such programming be rated differently or contain relevant descriptions so that parents can make informed decisions?

Is there disparity in ratings among different viewing platforms; i.e., is the same program consistently rated when it airs on broadcasting, MVPDs, and streaming platforms? Are streaming platforms more broadly interpreting what is allowable in categories intended for audiences under TV-Y14? Is objectionable content rated consistently across various programmers? For example, do different networks rate explicit language, suggestive language, and violent programming similarly, or are some networks prone to provide a lesser rating than others?

We seek comment on whether outreach efforts have been successful in providing parents with the information necessary to use the guidelines effectively and to provide feedback to the TVOMB. Commenters should identify the specific recommendation from the 2019 Report about which they are commenting. Comments should include any surveys or data used to support the comments.

91 FR 23990