Federal Register #2026-08624

FCC Media Bureau Seeks Public Comment on TV Ratings and Parental Controls

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Media Bureau is seeking public input on the effectiveness and transparency of the Television Oversight Monitoring Board (TVOMB) and the TV ratings system. - Government Buyer: - Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Media Bureau - OEMs and Vendors: - No commercial OEMs or vendors; FCC and TVOMB are regulatory/oversight entities - Products/Services Requested: - No products or services are being procured - Request for public comments on: - Transparency and public engagement of the TVOMB - Accuracy and consistency of TV ratings across broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms - Adequacy of content descriptions for parental decision-making - Inclusion and description of gender identity themes in children's programming - Unique/Notable Requirements: - Focus on public feedback regarding the TV ratings system and parental controls - Emphasis on whether current content descriptors are sufficient for parents - No procurement of goods or services; this is an information-gathering initiative

Description

The FCC's Media Bureau is requesting comments on the implementation of suggestions to improve transparency of the Television Oversight Monitoring Board (TVOMB), the accuracy of TV ratings, the balance of TVOMB's composition, and the sufficiency of content descriptions for parental decision-making. The notice seeks input on whether the TVOMB's efforts to engage the public are sufficient, the appropriateness of the current ratings system, and how ratings are applied across different platforms. It also addresses concerns about the inclusion of gender identity themes in children's programming and the need for relevant content descriptions to aid parental decisions.

View original listing