The Television Parental Guidelines are a television content rating system proposed on March 14, 1995, by the United States Congress and the FCC and went into effect on August 25, 1997. It was established as a government-controlled rating system, with ratings to be determined by the U.S. government.
The ratings are applied to most television series and films, as well as theatrically released films airing on television.
Development[]
By 1994, concerns about what children were watching on television were skyrocketing as many parents had seen inappropriate content on TV for children.
On March 14, 1995, the United States Congress announced the creation of the TV Parental Guidelines, a government set of guidelines to help them make better choices about the programs their children watch. The government decided to make the ratings appear on screen for 30 seconds. It was modeled after the ARB (American Ratings Board) and, like the film ratings, all ratings are enforced except G. In March 1998, watersheds were introduced. The current watershed system was introduced in June 2005.
Content descriptors are used for all ratings.All programs rated 10, 12, 14, and 16 are required to have a message saying "This program is unsuitable for children under---, so parental guidance is required," while G-rated programming is required to have a message saying "This program is suitable for all ages."
Ratings[]
G-Suitable for all ages. Programs rated G are suitable for all ages. The FCC states, like the G rating for movies, home videos, and video games, that it does not mean a program is for children. Programs rated G can air at anytime.
10-Not suitable for children under 10. Under 10s must have parental guidance. Programs rated 10 are unsuitable for children under 10 unless they have parental guidance. By federal law, programs rated 10 are only allowed to air from 3 PM to 6:30 AM.
12-Not suitable for children under 12. Under 12s must have parental guidance. Programs rated 12 are unsuitable for children under 12 unless they have parental guidance. By federal law, programs rated 12 are only allowed to air from 4:20 PM to 6 AM.
14-Not suitable for children under 14. Under 14s must have parental guidance. Programs rated 14 are unsuitable for children under 14 unless they have parental guidance.By federal law, programs rated 14 are only allowed to air from 9 PM to 5:30 AM.
16-Not suitable for children under 16. Under 16s must have parental guidance. Programs rated 16 are unsuitable for children under 16 unless they have parental guidance. By federal law, programs rated 16 are only allowed to air from 10:30 PM to 5 AM.
18-Adults only. Programs rated 18 are not allowed for minors.By federal law, programs rated 18 are only allowed to air from 11:45 PM to 3:50 AM; access to these programs is locked by a personal password.