TV Ratings Panel Nears Agreement on 6 Categories

The industry committee developing television’s first ratings system is nearing agreement on a plan that will group programs into six broad categories that reflect varying levels of sex, violence and coarse language, but not with the precision that some children’s advocates have sought.

According to an internal committee document obtained by The Times, there are two categories for programs aimed specifically at children and four for all other entertainment fare--all based on how appropriate the content is deemed to be for specific age groups.

The children’s categories that are planned are TV-K (for all children) and TV-K7 (for children over 7). The others are TV-G (general audience), TV-PG (parental guidance suggested), TV-14 (parents strongly cautioned) and TV-M (for mature audiences).

The final decisions on categories and how they are defined will be voted upon by the committee of network, cable and other industry representatives Dec. 18 and may be subject to some changes before then. But committee sources said Monday that they believe the draft version is close to what will be unveiled to the public on Dec. 19.

Although the draft makes distinctions in categories between the amount of sex, violence and coarse language represented by each rating, it does not include the detailed descriptions about each program that some children’s advocates and lawmakers have sought. Parents will not be able to tell whether a specific TV program received its rating for sex, violence or language.

Committee members said Monday they believe they have designed a system that will provide useful information for parents. Critics said they will not have enough information to make informed judgments.

The ratings are to take effect early next year.

Each network, cable channel and syndicator will make the decision on what moniker to give the programs it carries.

According to the draft document, TV-G would indicate a show that “most parents would find suitable for all ages.” This is defined as a program that most parents can let their younger children watch unattended. Such a show “contains little or no violence, little or no strong language and little or no sexual content.”

TV-PG may contain some material “that some parents would find unsuitable for younger children.” The definition suggests that many parents may want to watch these shows with their youngsters. Such a program “may contain infrequent coarse language, limited violence, some suggestive sexual dialogue and situations.”

Committee members who requested anonymity said they expect most situation comedies and some dramas to fall into the TV-PG category, while such harder-edged series as “NYPD Blue” and “The X-Files” would likely be classified as TV-14, meaning the show may include “some material that many parents would find unsuitable” for children under 14.

With the TV-14 label, the document says, parents are “strongly urged” to exercise greater care in monitoring this show and are cautioned against letting children under 14 watch by themselves. Shows in this category “may contain sophisticated themes, strong language, more intense violence and sexual content.”

TV-M, the most restrictive category, is defined as programming that is “designed to be viewed by adults specifically” and is “unsuitable for children.”

The television industry agreed early this year to develop the ratings system after Congress passed legislation mandating that one be created to give parents more control over their children’s viewing.

Committee Chairman Jack Valenti has said he and his colleagues were trying to keep it simple and similar to the movie ratings administered by the Motion Picture Assn. of America, which Valenti also heads.

“Using six categories gives the illusion of precision,” Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a longtime ratings advocate, said through a spokesman Monday. “The reality is the majority of programming is likely to fall into the TV-PG rating. This is a vast, undifferentiated category that doesn’t tell parents whether a program was rated that way for violence or sex or language. TV-PG really stands for ‘Too Vague--Parents Give Up.’ ”