OCR Text |
Show Sunday. April 6. 1980. THE HERALD. Provo. Itah- - Page Second Opinions An extra page of commentary, analysis and cartoons on 55 Jo! current issues and events Herald in Washington PTA Makes T Cleanup Progress By LEE RODERICK Herald Washington Bureau WASHINGTON - Iqn With inflation soaring out of sight, many families undoubtedly are spending less time out on the town and more time in front of the boob tube. That may not be all bad, if. as the National PTA television at last is says, prime-tim- e becoming more acceptable for fami- PO YOU WANT I "so "Best TC "JAWS E," AIRPORT &o,"L "c)TAR WARE) PART 2," T 7p"$ L MP OR gtffcUIP WE TaY AT p ly viewing. The PTA has just released the latest results of its ambitious television monitoring project. Based on the response of some 6,000 PTA members who monitored prime-tim- e programs from Oct. 28 to Nov. 28, a PTA spokesman reports the organization is "cautiously optimistic" that the TV picture at last is looking up. "For the first time since the monitoring began in the fall of 1977," says the spokesman, "the overall ratings for shows are higher than previously experienced." The National PTA was in the forefront of the fight nationally to get especailly starting in 1975 gratuitous violence off TV during early and prime-tim- e viewing hours when children would likely be tuned in. Thanks in good part to the PTA's efforts, TV by almost all accounts is less violent today than just a few years ago. At the same time, however, some of the gratuitous violence has been replaced by gratuitous sex on TV. According to the PTA TV monitoring project, the top 10 shows considered to be "cellent" for family I - viewing include: "Little House (NBC), on the Prairie" "60 Minutes" (CBS), "Prime tribution to the quality of life in America, including reinforcement of positive social values, exemplary role models and educational value; (2) lack of offensive content such as sex and offensively-portraye- d violence; stereotyping of sex, age, race, or ethnic background ; or of offensive language; and (3) high artistic and technical merit. The 10 programs rated poorest in Time Saturday" (NCB), "The Waltons" (CBS), "Quincy" (NBC), "CBS Speaks," "White Shadow" (CBS), "Eight is Enough" (ABC), "2020" (ABC), and "Salvage-1- " (ABC). "These shows during the fall season were judged tops in the three areas of examination," explains at a PTA spokesman. The areas are (a) positive con mint WASATCH quality in these three areas by the 6.000 PTA members include: "'A Man Called Sloane" (NBCi. B- of Saturday companies to compliment or complain about what they are financing on television, and to otherwise them as aDDrooriate. sup-oo- Live" (NBC i. "Soap" i ABO. "Detective School" i ABC. "The Ropers" (ABCi. "Chalie's Angels" (ABO. "Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo" (NBC i. "Vegas" (ABO. "Three's Company" (ABO and "The Associates" (ABO. Compared to the spring 1979 monitoring. NBC dropped from having four of the most offensive programs down to three. ABC, however, rose sharply from four up to seven programs. And CBS. which previously had two programs in the "poorest" category, became the first network since monitoring began not to have any show in this negative category. One other category is also rated that of "most violent." The 10 shows given this dubious distinction for their violence to persons, property, and laws, include: "A Man Called Sloane" (NBC); "The Incredible Hulk" (CBS) of Hazzard" (CBS), "Detective School" (ABC), "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" (NBC), "Hawaii Five-O- " (CBS), "Best of Sautrday Night Live" (NBC), "Vegas" (ABC), "NBC Movies" and "Charlie's Angels" (ABC) TV experts generally agree that the most effective pressure point to bring about improvement in programming is that of the sponsors, who are extremely sensitive to public perceptions .of them. Accordingly, the PTA also lists corporations sponsoring the best and worst programs, inviting viewers to write Night 114 -i Four corporations, called Dunkin'Donuts, S 1 Two corporations are tabbed as the "most offensive advertisers" for such purchases: GTE and Times. The full program and advertiser results from the latest TV monitoring are available in the PTA's fifth "TV Program Review Guide." Copies are available bv writing: National PTA TV Action Center, 700 North Rush Street, Chicago, 111. 60611. The cost to PTA members is 50 cents for one guide or three for SI. members pay 75 cents each. Return postage is included. Studies indicate most children watch TV 31 hours a week, elementary children 27 hours a students 25 week, and hours a week. We owe it to them, if Non-PT- pre-scho- high-scho- not to ourselves, to do what we can to improve TV, this most powerful influence for good or ill. vw J r I I-- CO. lit J 737 North 1200 West Orem 224-15324 West Main American Fork n 8 M mm mm r jnpgj hL- - The wood stove for those who are serious ..... arm 42 756-531- Offer Good Until April 15, 1980 . Toyota, and Warner-Lamber- t. rt s, a, Schering-Plough- Seven-U- "distinguished advertisers by the PTA. purchased 100 percent of their ads in the most exemplary programs during the fall season. They were Hallmark, Interstate Brands, Polaroid and Quaker Oats These corporations, labelled "commendable advertisers." bout at least 80 percent of their ads in the best programs: Bell Telephone, Bristol-MyerCPC International, Eastman Kodak, General Mills, Ideal Toy, Kellogg, Mars. McDonald's Sterling Drug and Wm. Wrigiey, Jr. Cited as "poor advertisers" for heavy ad buying, with the bulk of their purchases in the lowest-qualit- y programs, are nine corporations: American Motors, Banfi Products, Coca-Col- . Richardson-Merrell- 1 ?p about heating & cootiing with wood!! K. - nn UJ yj mm mm A. JJ dJJdJ BUY NOW WHILE THEY LAST! m 8 FEBB: oo m I "V uvKy 1 1 I I f uu D I I u uc 1 IpyKCKIASli OF AMY STOVE, AHQ I oooo 00 PRICES WON'T BE THIS LOW AGAIN!! |