TV Ratings’ Debut to Exclude Politicians

Although the TV ratings system was conceived at the behest of lawmakers and was launched at a high-profile White House meeting, the actual unveiling on Thursday will occur without politicians.

Executives involved in developing the ratings plan said there had been talk at one time about reprising last February’s “mogul-fest,” at which a who’s who of network, cable and studio chiefs met with President Clinton to announce their historic decision to create a system that would provide parents with advance information about the level of sex and violence in entertainment programs.

But the ratings committee decided instead that it is important--symbolically and legally--to “have separation between the industry and the government,” as one member put it, for the announcement of the plan, which is being finalized in private today.

So, committee chairman Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Assn. of America, and other industry leaders will make their announcement at the National Press Club in Washington at 10 a.m. Thursday, with CNN expected to televise the proceedings live.

Nevertheless, Clinton wants some political credit for having pushed for the ratings, even though the issue has become a political hot potato, with an array of congressmen, children’s advocates and parents’ groups saying the industry’s proposed system doesn’t go far enough in providing the information parents want. The president’s staff has decided to have a “photo op” at the White House after the industry’s press conference, to be attended by Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and Tipper Gore, and Valenti.

At the event, which may include some parents, Clinton is expected to praise the industry for its efforts. TV executives said it’s an endorsement the industry welcomes--as long as there’s enough symbolic space between the two events.

Valenti briefed Gore on the industry’s plan last week and, on Friday, Clinton called on critics to give the system a 10-month trial before pressing for modifications.

The industry ratings are modeled on the movie codes used by the MPAA, with classifications to be made by whether a program is appropriate for children of a particular age--including TV-G (for general audiences), TV-PG (parental guidance suggested), TV-14 (may be inappropriate for children under 14) and TV-M (for adults). Critics want programs specifically labeled for how much violence, sex and adult language they contain.

Public-interest groups and aides of Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who also has been critical of the industry plan, met Tuesday to plan stronger action to blunt the pending ratings announcement.

Jeff Chester, executive director of the Washington-based Center for Media Education, said his organization has asked to meet with White House officials in the wake of Clinton’s favorable comments about the industry plan, hoping to persuade him to take a tougher stance.

Advertising industry leaders indicated Tuesday, however, that they would not encourage more government intervention in the television ratings issues.

“We are in favor of a voluntary ratings system, and we are opposed to government stepping in this area,” said Daniel Jaffe, vice president of the Assn. of National Advertisers, which represents more than 5,000 companies.

Times staff writers Jube Shiver Jr. and Elizabeth Shogren contributed to this story from Washington.

* ROAD TO TV RATINGS: A look at how politics helped shape the pending system. F1