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The following is a list of the general topic areas that staff wishes to explore in its information requests to various members of the motion picture, music recording, and video, personal computer, and coin-operated game industries. Not all recipients of the information requests will be asked to produce information about every topic on the list. Instead, staff will request information on a particular topic only from the members within each industry that are likely to possess such information. Staff will also narrow the specific information requests (e.g., time period) as applicable to reduce the burden on individual members.

For purposes of this topic list, "product" refers to movies, music recordings, or video, personal computer, or coin-operated games. References to products that have been "rated or labeled" means:

  1. films rated PG-13, R, or NC-17 by the Classification and Rating Administration;
  2. music recordings containing an Explicit Content Parental Advisory Label;
  3. video and personal computer games rated Teen, Mature, or Adults Only under the Entertainment Software Rating Board ("ESRB") or ESRB interactive rating systems;
  4. video and personal computer games rated at a level of 2 or greater using the Recreational Software Advisory Council ("RSAC") or RSAC interactive rating systems; and (e) coin-operated video games containing a red designation using the American Amusement Machine Association Parental Advisory System.
  1. General
    1. Background information on industry members, including their organizational structure, size, and sales.
    2. The number and dollar amount of products sold by industry members.
    3. The names, number, and dollar amount of products rated or labeled.
    4. The viewing, listening, renting, or buying preferences of children under 18.
    5. Consumer attitudes about products that are rated or labeled.
  2. Rating or Labeling Process
    1. The process followed by industry members to obtain a rating or label for their products using the various voluntary rating or labeling systems established by industry members.
    2. Instances where industry members have appealed, challenged, or questioned a particular rating or label designation.
    3. Consumer awareness of, understanding of, use of, or satisfaction with the rating or labeling systems.
    4. The circumstances where industry members will edit or modify a product to avoid receiving a particular rating or label, including specific examples where products were so modified.
    5. Information regarding the target audiences and actual audiences for certain products rated or labeled.
    6. Efforts undertaken by industry members to publicize and educate the public/parents about the existence and use of the ratings or labels, and any evaluation of such educational efforts.
    7. The process followed when an industry member receives a complaint or inquiry about violent content of industry products, including copies of any complaint or inquiry received by industry members about the violent content of industry products and any response by that industry member to the complaint or inquiry.
    8. Recent changes to, or proposals to modify, the rating or labeling systems used by industry members.
  3. Advertising or Marketing
    1. How industry members market or advertise products that have received a rating or been labeled.
    2. Voluntary standards or guidelines used by industry members in developing the advertising or marketing for products, including products that have been rated or labeled.
    3. Voluntary standards or guidelines used by industry members that govern, specify, or restrict the content or placement of advertising for products, including standards or guidelines on whether information on the rating or label should appear in advertising for those products.
    4. Internet advertising or marketing by industry members of products rated or labeled.
    5. Information on audience demographics collected by industry members or others both before and after ad placement; instructions regarding the placement or content of advertising for products given to advertising agencies and media buyers, brokers, and others who place advertisements for products.
    6. The ages of persons accessing industry member web sites and web pages.
    7. How industry members market and advertise products that have been rated or labeled, including, for certain specified products, internal marketing plans, actual advertisements and ad dissemination schedules, trailers, demos and other materials used to promote the specified products.
    8. The publications, broadcast programs, and other media used by industry members to market their products, including products that have been rated or labeled.
    9. The funding of advertising of products by industry members (e.g., the use of cooperative advertising funds).
    10. Consumer research regarding advertisements or other marketing efforts that promote products that have been rated or labeled.
    11. The process followed when an industry member receives a complaint or inquiry about the advertising or marketing of products that contain violent content, including copies of any complaint or inquiry received by industry members about the advertising or marketing of violent products and any response by that industry member to the complaint or inquiry.
    12. Media policies for acceptance of advertisements.
    13. The process by which the images or likenesses of products rated or labeled are licensed for toys and other products, including products marketed to children.
  4. Sales Policies and Practices
    1. The policies or practices of industry members to restrict or limit the sale, rental, or viewing of products rated or labeled, including any efforts to monitor the effectiveness of those restrictions or limits.
    2. The policies or practices of industry members regarding promotion or in-store placement of products rated or labeled, including any efforts to monitor the effectiveness of those practices.
    3. The policies or practices of industry members regarding the sale on the Internet of products rated or labeled, including any limitations placed on the age of those who can buy such products and any efforts to enforce those limitations.
    4. Research regarding purchasers and users of products rated or labeled.
    5. The efforts of industry members to: (a) identify the ages of persons visitingthe web sites of industry members; or (b) discourage children from visiting industry web sites that contain violent products or from purchasing, listening to, or downloading such products.
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