FTC Seeks Public Comment for Study of the Marketing Practices of the Entertainment Industry

As part of its study of the marketing practices of the entertainment industry, the Federal Trade Commission is seeking public comment on proposed information requests to members of the motion picture, recording, and video, personal computer, and coin-operated game industries, and on proposed consumer research. The information solicited will be used by the FTC and the Department of Justice to produce the study, requested by the President on June 1, 1999, on whether and to what extent the entertainment industry markets age-restricted violent material to children.

The request for public comment, which is required under the Paperwork Reduction Act and will be published in the Federal Register soon, outlines the information to be sought from industry members. The requests for information will be sent to 60-75 members of the entertainment industry to examine: (1) the voluntary systems used by industry members to rate or designate violent content within three industry groups - movies, recordings, and video or computer games; (2) how industry members market or advertise movies, recordings, and video or computer games with violent content; and (3) whether industry members have policies or procedures to restrict access to movies, recordings, and video or computer games with violent content.

The Federal Register notice also seeks comment on a proposal to conduct focus groups of children and to survey parents to gather specific information on their perceptions of entertainment rating or labeling systems.

Written comments should be sent to the Secretary, Federal Trade Commission, Room H-159, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580, or by e-mail to <entstudy@ftc.gov>. The submissions should include the submitter's name, address, telephone number, and, if available, FAX number and e-mail address. All submissions should be captioned "Entertainment Industry Study" - FTC File No. P994511.

The Commission vote to publish the Federal Register notice was 4-0.

Copies of the Federal Register notice are available from the FTC's web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC's Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580; 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357); TDD for the hearing impaired 1-866-653-4261. To find out the latest news as it is announced, call the FTC NewsPhone recording at 202-326-2710.

(FTC File No. 859907)