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Letter from the PTC’s Leadership Every parent knows that television is an incredibly powerful force in our children’s lives. More than a thousand scientific and academic studies confirm what most parents also instinctively know to be true: explicit entertainment media can have a harmful impact on children. Children who consume large quantities of graphic media violence tend to be more aggressive, more likely to use violence as a resolution to conflict, and more fearful of their surroundings. The Parents Television Council was founded to protect children and promote a media culture safe for families. The PTC diligently monitors the media industry – and through a balance of research, education, and advocacy programs, we strive for positive change. We help parents protect their children from media content that can do them harm by documenting and opposing instances of such content, holding those who produce and sponsor it accountable for their actions, and pushing for change. And we help promote family and the interests of children by recognizing those in entertainment and private industry who produce and sponsor genuinely family-friendly content, and encouraging them to make more. Among our initiatives are those encouraging companies to be responsible in refusing to sponsor inappropriate programming, promoting Cable Choice (the right of customers to pay only for the networks they actually watch), supporting the enforcement of broadcast decency laws, and working to reform a TV ratings system operated by the very people putting our kids in harm’s way. We don’t accept government funding or solicit donations from the entertainment industry. We are supported only through tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations that share our commitment to children and families. We ask you to add your voice to ours. Our children need an advocate on their behalf. Please consider helping us protect children from being exposed to inappropriate content. Help us protect families from being exposed to inappropriate content — Because Our Children Are Watching. Please join us…www.parentstv.org
Tim Winter President
Michele D’Amour Board Chair
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