TV RATINGS GET A FUZZY RECEPTION FROM VIEWERS

The television ratings system arrived with the New Year, but it hasn't had much of a bang with local viewers.

The system is intended to help parents control the content of the network television programs their children watch. Special symbols on each broadcast indicate what audience the program is appropriate for. Many local viewers said they believe the rating system is a good idea in theory, but it probably won't be effective.

"I saw one in the corner of the screen, but I didn't really know what it was," said Minnie Lewis, a mother of three. "It looked like those station identification signs they always put in the corner, so I just didn't pay much attention to it."

Lewis is one of the few viewers who said they even noticed the new symbol. Many people said they had not seen the symbols on any programs they had watched. Like Lewis, many said they had stopped paying attention to the symbols that pop into the corner of the screen long ago, "unless it's a weather warning".

This is despite the fact that the symbol uses more dominant colors than most station identification symbols and weather warnings. The ratings symbol also has a different location. It is placed in the top left corner of the television screen, while most stations and networks place their symbols in the bottom right corner of the screen.

"It's okay, but I think regardless of what they put in the corner, it's still the parent's responsibility to monitor what your kids are watching," said Reggie Gipson, a father of two.

Michael Maguire, chairman of the Cape Girardeau Cable Television Citizens Committee, said it is too early to tell how successful the system has been. "To be honest, I haven't noticed it on any of the programs yet," he said. "Given the intent, I think some passage of time is necessary so parents can decide whether or not the labeling is accurate in regards to the program's content."

Howard Meagle, vice-president and general manager of KFVS-TV 12, agreed. "We can't tell at this early stage," he said. "It's just beginning, and won't be in full swing for some few weeks." He said the station had just begun to rate programs locally, and the networks were still working to get the system in place at a national level.

Meagle said the viewers should begin to see more ratings symbols appearing on a staggered basis by May. A broad range of ratings are available, including TV-G, which means a program can be viewed by all audiences, and TV-M, which recommends that only mature audiences view the program.

Gipson said parents should not expect the ratings system to take the place of parental control of a child's television viewing. "It's just like when you're in a video store," he said. "Unless you watch what your kid picks up, it doesn't matter what rating it has, because it doesn

('t have an impact.")