Recording Industry to Start Parental Task Force

In response to continued congressional pressure to stop marketing music containing mature-themed language to children, recording industry officials late this week said they would form a new parental advisory task force.

“We are going to do a better job--in particular, in those areas pointed out in the [Federal Trade Commission] report where the industry’s own implementation of its own guidelines was lacking,” said Recording Industry Assn. of America President Hilary Rosen. She announced the formation of the task force Thursday on ABC’s “Nightline.”

The announcement came days after Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) sent a harshly worded letter to Rosen asking her to explain why the music industry “appears not only to have failed to prevent the marketing of explicit content to children, but appears to have failed to even try.”

The May 3 letter, obtained by The Times, cites the FTC’s follow-up report on marketing violent entertainment to children, which was released last week. It calls the performance of the music business “abysmal.” As chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, McCain asked Rosen to tell him what “remedial action” the music industry intends to take before the next FTC report this fall.

Recording industry officials Friday said they had not received a final copy of the letter from McCain’s office, but they said the newly formed task force would ensure that:

* All print ads for parental-advisory-labeled material contain visible and clear warnings.

* The parental-advisory label is prominently displayed at all stages of the online shopping process.

* The online retail community links to an explanation of the parental advisory programs at https://www.parentalguide.org.

McCain pointedly asked Rosen to explain “why the RIAA appears to have failed to abide by representations made to the Commerce committee and to the FTC last year” regarding changes in the industry’s marketing practices.

The RIAA withdrew industry-wide guidelines on marketing to minors shortly after last year’s congressional hearings were held--a decision that drew fire from the FTC.

Rosen, who has requested a meeting with McCain, stood her ground on the question of further steps being taken by her industry--noting that 75% of all parents agree with their voluntary approach.

She said Friday: “We will continue to stand on principle against unconstitutional legislation and forced changes to our Parental Advisory Program that would jeopardize the rights of our artists to express themselves freely.”