Independent Rating Industry Leaders Pull Together to Support Ratings Awareness Month

Independent Rating Industry Leaders Pull Together to Support Ratings Awareness Month

LOS ANGELES, June 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The members of the Coalition for Independent Ratings Services (CFIRS) announce their support of June 2005 as "Entertainment Ratings and Labeling Awareness Month."

CFIRS is comprised of PSVratings, Inc., National Institute on Media and the Family, Children's Software Review, Critics, Inc. - kids-in-mind.com, Coalition for Quality Children's Media, FamilyStyle Film Guide and Grading the Movies. The goal of the Coalition is to increase dialogue about the use of independent ratings systems within the public and political realm.

"With the explosion of media we need an Entertainment Ratings & Labeling Awareness Month to raise the awareness of parents, educators and all those concerned about program content. And we hope this month of awareness serves to help the American public realize that there are many ratings systems to choose from," said David G. Kinney, Coalition Chairman and President of PSVratings, Inc. "We welcome the opportunity to work with and to support the entertainment industry ratings systems, such as the MPAA system for movies and the ESRB system for video games. We believe that independent ratings systems can provide a robust supplement to the industry systems."

"In light of the ongoing debate over certain types of content, there is a clear need for the use of independent, objective ratings systems. Many consumers aren't aware that systems independent from the studios, manufacturers and broadcasters exist," said Dr. David Walsh, President of the National Institute on Media and the Family. "The goal of the Coalition is to make independent ratings available to more parents and other consumers, who will then be able to make more informed decisions for themselves and their children."

The seven member organizations of the Coalition each offer a unique entertainment ratings system, as well as educational products designed to provide consumers with a wide range of tools to assist them in the media buying choices.

To learn more about the Coalition for Independent Ratings Services and its member organizations please visit http://www.independentratings.com/ .

Contact: Shanna Summers 816.753.6222 ssummers@inkincpr.com

Source: Coalition for Independent Ratings Services

CONTACT: Shanna Summers for CFIRS, +1-816-753-6222, ssummers@inkincpr.com

Web site: http://www.independentratings.com/

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