2005 Annual Report - Parents Television Council

Headlines and national TV coverage exploded
as PTC’s Research and Publications Department
rocked Hollywood with four studies.
The PTC ramped up its
efforts to demand Hollywood
stop polluting the public
airwaves through a unique
campaign targeting the familyoffensive
programming airing
on Thursday nights. Based on
unequivocal PTC research,
“Take Out Trash TV Thursdays”
exposed the raunchiest
shows and their sponsors. Two
targeted shows were pulled
from the broadcast schedule.
The PTC continued to
pressure corporations sponsoring
Howard Stern’s television
show. By the end of
the year, thanks to PTC
efforts, the show’s ratings
plummeted by 67% and 33 of 79 advertisers dropped
the show completely.
The PTC capitalized on its increased press
coverage at every opportunity. Recognizing that it was
important to draw attention to the positive – though
rare – entertainment coming out of Hollywood, the PTC
developed and launched the Green Light Seal of
Approval. This award was presented to television
shows, movies, products and websites that promoted
wholesome, family-friendly ideals and messages.
CBS’s made-for-TV movie Joan of Arc and the film
Iron Giant were among the first recipients of the Green
Light Seal of Approval.
The Steve Allen ad
campaign continued to
draw more and more
Americans to the PTC
cause. By the end of the
campaign’s first year, 125
million families had seen
the full-page ad demanding
that advertisers stop
sponsoring filth and
start taking America’s
children into account in
newspapers around the
country. By year’s end,
the PTC’s membership
had tripled, topping
300,000 individuals.
The organization reinforced its
message with a unique full-page advertisement
running in the national
newspaper USA Today. That ad,
sponsored by 700 individuals and
families, carried the message: “Hollywood,
we’re sick and tired of the garbage
on television!” PTC spokespeople
appeared on radio talk shows from coastto-coast
discussing the PTC’s efforts to
clean up television programming.
Headlines and national TV coverage
exploded as PTC’s Research and
Publications Department rocked
Hollywood with four studies. The Family
Hour: Worse than Ever and Headed for
New Lows demonstrated that even shows
airing in the first hour of prime time were
sexually explicit, vulgar and violent, and
the promises of Hollywood to clean up
its act were empty. Unintended
Consequences proved even with the
new television rating system in place
TV was more offensive than ever.
Brought to You By...The Sponsors of
Prime Time’s Most and Least Family-
Friendly Programs exposed the
advertising practices of companies
sponsoring prime time television. How
and Why Howard Stern’s TV Show
Failed documented the filth and demise
of the shock jock’s television
enterprise.
Additionally, the PTC’s newly
published monthly newsletter, the
Insider, went from
a readership of
25,000 to 90,000
in just 10 months.
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MEMBERSHIP: 312,000
ANNUAL BUDGET: $4.2 MILLION