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How 'bout those new ratings bugs!

T

TonySantiago

Have you noticed anything different on your TV. Is it that something you never paid much attention to suddenly getting BIGGER and seen more often?

It was mandated by the FCC that beginning June 1st the ratings on the beginning of each show, increase its size by 70%. And that's not all. Besides getting that rating on the beginning of the show, the rating will appear on EVERY SEGMENT of the show (which wasn't the case before...it just aired on the beginning only).

So, what do you think...MORE annoying? Or could you care less...

TS
 
> So, what do you think...MORE annoying? Or could you care
> less...

This will certainly be more annoying initially, however I don't think many people will pay much attention to them after a few days as they will tend to blend in with the programming. (which is why they're growing in size and frequency to begin with). The bigger size may catch eyes at first, but I think the only effective way to make viewers aware of the rating for any given show is to show the rating over black for a few seconds before the show starts (sort of like the viewer discretion slides). This is unrealistic, of course, and would be far more annoying than just an increased bug size.

I would love to know how many people actually pay attention to TV ratings anyway.
 
That explains it, during Cheers last night on TVLand, the rating bug was HUUUUGE, and it was so big that it struck me as being a mistake...
 
> I think the only effective way to make viewers
> aware of the rating for any given show is to show the rating
> over black for a few seconds before the show starts (sort of
> like the viewer discretion slides). This is unrealistic, of
> course, and would be far more annoying than just an
> increased bug size.

Though at least the opening scene would be devoid of the ratings bug, which, in my opinion, is useless.

To be honest, there's a better chance that the ratings bug will grow even larger before it leaves the air completely.
 
> That explains it, during Cheers last night on TVLand, the
> rating bug was HUUUUGE, and it was so big that it struck me
> as being a mistake...
>
I have to admit I must be blind, 'cause the only time I notice is when I read a post like this.

Question for you all...

Why are they making them bigger? What's the ultimate goal? I assume they make them bigger so people will pay attention? If so is this to stop a potential lawsuit

I'm not explaining it well, but I guess I want to know what purpose will it ultimately serve. V-Chips? etc etc???<P ID="signature">______________
Once I figured out the meaning of life....Then I forgot to write it down.</P>
 
All bugs are bad, especially those demanded by the nanny state.
The ratings bugs will be just something ignored by most and kids being kids will look for the TV14 and TVMA stuff.
 
Not to be picky here, but ABC seemed to be showing a ratings bug coming out of every commercial break already during their prime time shows (especially "NYPD Blue" earlier this year).

By the way, is this rule going to apply to cable TV as well?
 
> Not to be picky here, but ABC seemed to be showing a ratings
> bug coming out of every commercial break already during
> their prime time shows (especially "NYPD Blue" earlier this
> year).
>
> By the way, is this rule going to apply to cable TV as well?
>

Well, I am not entirely sure this is an *FCC* rule, because up till now (at least), TV ratings were administered by a voluntary industry group.

However - I just checked out "The N" block on Noggin, and it showed a decent sized TV rating when a show in progress came back from a scheduled break - I'd say about the original size TV ratings were when I first saw them years ago. I have not actually seen many ratings on The N at all - perhaps brief ones at the start of shows, but not during shows like that - and IIRC some of their non-Canadian foreign programming never was rated. I also checked out Discovery Kids, and saw a TV rating that covered nearly a sixth of my entire screen. I would need a pie pan to cover that logo on my 20 inch set!

I must admit, I would be in favor of a pre-show slide method as mentioned above. This is what many premium channels still do to this day, I think.

If this is how big the ratings are getting, how big will the E/I logo (which must now remain on the screen at all times during 3-hour-rule programming) get? I'm scared! E/I is coming to get me! :D

(BTW, FWIW, the last couple times I saw it on air on Tuesday nights, "Cold Turkey II" on PAX had an E/I logo in the corner.)<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by jegrant on 06/01/05 09:38 AM.</FONT></P>
 
>
> I would love to know how many people actually pay attention
> to TV ratings anyway.
>

I always wondered that myself !! With so many kids today living in households where both parents work, I wonder if any uses them at all. My neighbors for example both work the 3-11pm shift Sunday thru Thursday and they have both HBO and Showtime, I am sure their kids ( ages 11 and 16 ) look for the "TV-MA" rating, well I take that, they do. Both of the kids tell me they enjoy watching "Six Feet Under". Do the parents of these two kids know? Yes they do and from they way the acted, really couldn't care less. Actually the mother told me quote "I have no problem with my kids watching anything on HBO, it's no worse than what they will hear on the radio on the school bus, from other kids, or what they will see when they go to the movies at the mall".

Tv ratings are like movie ratings and those warnings on music that is considered "dirty". I have to laugh. How can they be enforced when most of the employees I have seen working in theatres are kids themselves? Same with retail stores.

My wife and I are huge John Waters fans. Last year we saw "A Dirty Shame" which was rated "NC-17". Imagine our surprise when we saw kids in the theatre watching the movie !!

None of this is new of course. Back in the mid 80's, my late brother worked for the local cable company. I remember him telling me that of all the houses he installed HBO and Cinemax in with kids living in the household, he can only think of TWO where the adults in the house requested a lock on the cable box so the kids can't watch HBO.

Sounds like either the parents trust their kids or the parents simply don't care.
 
> > Not to be picky here, but ABC seemed to be showing a
> ratings
> > bug coming out of every commercial break already during
> > their prime time shows (especially "NYPD Blue" earlier
> this
> > year).
> >
> > By the way, is this rule going to apply to cable TV as
> well?
> >
>
> Well, I am not entirely sure this is an *FCC* rule, because
> up till now (at least), TV ratings were administered by a
> voluntary industry group.
>
> However - I just checked out "The N" block on Noggin, and it
> showed a decent sized TV rating when a show in progress came
> back from a scheduled break - I'd say about the original
> size TV ratings were when I first saw them years ago. I have
> not actually seen many ratings on The N at all - perhaps
> brief ones at the start of shows, but not during shows like
> that - and IIRC some of their non-Canadian foreign
> programming never was rated. I also checked out Discovery
> Kids, and saw a TV rating that covered nearly a sixth of my
> entire screen. I would need a pie pan to cover that logo on
> my 20 inch set!
>
> I must admit, I would be in favor of a pre-show slide method
> as mentioned above. This is what many premium channels still
> do to this day, I think.
>
> If this is how big the ratings are getting, how big will the
> E/I logo (which must now remain on the screen at all times
> during 3-hour-rule programming) get? I'm scared! E/I is
> coming to get me! :D
>
> (BTW, FWIW, the last couple times I saw it on air on Tuesday
> nights, "Cold Turkey II" on PAX had an E/I logo in the
> corner.)
>

Answering the three posts up to this...I work at a cable network and even though the rating system is "voluntary", the FCC agreed with it and enforces whatever changes have to be made. The FCC mandated adding the S, D, L, V and FV to the ratings years ago along with the TV-PG, etc. This is definitely coming from the top. And yes, cable is affected as well.

Sporting events and news programming are still exempt.
 
> Have you noticed anything different on your TV. Is it that
> something you never paid much attention to suddenly getting
> BIGGER and seen more often?
>
> It was mandated by the FCC that beginning June 1st the
> ratings on the beginning of each show, increase its size by
> 70%. And that's not all. Besides getting that rating on
> the beginning of the show, the rating will appear on EVERY
> SEGMENT of the show (which wasn't the case before...it just
> aired on the beginning only).
>
> So, what do you think...MORE annoying? Or could you care
> less...
>
> TS
>

I'll have to admit, when I first started reading this thread, I thought the FCC was mandating that CSI posted "18.5 share".

Don't I feel foolish!
 
> So, what do you think...MORE annoying? Or could you care
> less...

Could care less, people will continue to not pay attention.
 
> I'll have to admit, when I first started reading this
> thread, I thought the FCC was mandating that CSI posted
> "18.5 share".
>
> Don't I feel foolish!
>

Thank god that's not what it is! I'm pretty sure NBC would have protested that one!

-A<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
 
Just last week while changing the channel I saw on Nick during SpongeBob the TV Y rating was more then double its normal size. All I thought was that Nick must of made it to big by mistake.
 
It's a bunch of BS. In fact the whole ratings thing is BS.<P ID="signature">______________
~Jay Clark~
</P>
 
With the "E/I" designation now having to appear on-screen throughout an entire show, I think it may only be a matter of time until the TV ratings "Bug" must also appear on-screen for the entire show.

And, I also think it's only a matter of time until someone mandates that live news and sports programs must also be rated. And those ratings will appear on-screen for the entire length of the program as well.
 
> With the "E/I" designation now having to appear on-screen
> throughout an entire show, I think it may only be a matter
> of time until the TV ratings "Bug" must also appear
> on-screen for the entire show.

And if that doesn't get attention, why not make it even larger and move it to the center of the screen?
>
> And, I also think it's only a matter of time until someone
> mandates that live news and sports programs must also be
> rated. And those ratings will appear on-screen for the
> entire length of the program as well.
>
While you're at it, the FCC should also require that commercials, test patterns, "snow" and turned-off TV get on-screen ratings as well. As a matter of fact, videos, DVDs, books -- anything that casts an image should also get a ratinsg bug. If you don't like it -- T-S!

(By the way, I'm being sarcastic in this post -- may the TV ratings system go down in flames.)
 
What a load of bullshit.

Like making the rating bug bigger is going to influence whether or not someone is going to watch a program. Just chuck the whole damn thing or reduce the bug size so that I can go back to ignoring it.

And get rid of the damn E/I bug altogether!<P ID="signature">______________
Brutal honesty, made from a secret family recipe</P>
 
If you're watching an analog signal with ghosting, does that mean that the signals have to be rated another two or three times? :>
 
Another thing I also noticed, when they come back from commerical break the TV Rating is shown again. Whats next, the rating takes up the whole screen everytime a new shows starts and comes out of commerical break.
 
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