BUCKING THE SYSTEM: TV RATINGS SYSTEM WILL BE FINE IN TIME

Although we live in a time when most parents work outside the home, we shouldn't forget that television was never meant to replace human caregivers and parental supervision.

Many people have pounded the new television rating system lately, saying it's barely visible, far too general and basically ineffective. I agree with this sentiment, although I think the system is a good idea that deserves a chance to improve before it's completely shot down.

Television programming has been in debate since television began. No one has ever agreed on what people should be watching because everyone has different preferences.

The rating system was developed in answer to suggestions that children were being exposed to amazing amounts of sex and violence and something should be done to increase parental control. With the system, many people felt parents would be able to determine what programming would be suitable for viewing by different age groups.

The problem is that if you're not looking at the television, you don't know what rating a program has received. In these cases, the system is rendered useless.

Patrick and I have had long debates about what our child will watch, mainly because we have such dissimilar programming preferences. I'm a family-TV viewer, which means I like to watch Charles Ingalls cry and watch the light pop on when Monica reveals the fact that she's an angel.

Patrick is more of an action-TV viewer. He's more likely to take notes from McGuyver or watch Mr. T beat up bad guys without breaking one of the 100 gold chains he's wearing on his chest.

Although our viewing habits are different, however, we have very similar concerns about what our son, Jerry, will be exposed to. We want him to see educational shows that give him academic skills, and we feel he should be able to see entertainment-oriented programs to stimulate decision-making and expand his horizons.

Neither of us believe the occasional cartoonfest will hurt him, either.

I think a lot of people don't understand the purpose of the ratings system or of television programming in general.

So many negative things have been said about TV programming and the rating system lately that one forgets that television was not meant to shape morals or babysit children. Although we live in a time when most parents work outside the home, the Boob Tube is still mainly a source of entertainment, and parents have to accept responsibility for teaching their children.

They should monitor what their children watch and accept no excuses for the casual use of profanity or violence for the sake of ratings. Television can be a great teaching tool for children, but only if the parents know what's educational, what's entertainment and how to identify everything else that falls in-between.

There are some quality shows available this year for family viewing. The messages on these programs are simple and direct and the potential for learning is great.

It helps that most of these programs also manage to combine a realistic plot AND a good action sequence, something that is unheard of in television mistakes like McGuyver or The A-Team.

The ratings system is a valuable tool because it helps parents identify the educational, family- and adult-oriented programs. Sure, it needs to be expanded, but it's a good starting point.

Look at how far premium movie channels have come in identifying program content. They've improved because stations were allowed time to develop good, working models. In these cases, trial-and-error allowed the industry to make it safely through the content-identification maze.

Rating systems work, but only when parents take the time to review them. Otherwise, they might as well put the television away and go back to listening to the radio.

But that's another column.

~Tamara Zellars Buck is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.