The FCC Is Giving Us More Time!
Update! I have personally communicated via email and phone (most recently on May 22, 2026) with a policy advisor for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) - the submissions both supporting and opposing the current content associated with TV ratings have been tremendous.
The comments filed by those who are content with the current system are primarily connected with GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation).
So far, these have outnumbered comments submitted by those who believe more transparency is needed in content information associated with TV ratings.
The good news is that the FCC is allowing additional time for comments to be filed on this urgent matter regarding parental rights. The new deadline for comments is June 22, 2026.
Now is our chance to step it up! Take advantage of this second chance and file comments. Also, please encourage your friends and family to file their comments because this opportunity does not happen often!
Original Alert:
The FCC has released a Public Notice seeking input on the Television Parental Guidelines ratings system. This is a rare opportunity for parents, family advocates, and allied organizations to make our voices heard — and we urge you to join us! Both parental rights and accurate TV ratings are so important!
The FCC has issued a Public Notice inquiry focused on how the television ratings system can better serve parents in today’s media environment. This proceeding offers a timely opportunity to examine whether the current system—largely designed and administered by the entertainment industry itself—is actually delivering clear, accurate information that families need. The FCC has opened a public comment period to determine just how the ratings system can be reformed to provide more transparency and parental oversight. We must act now!
Transparent content information should be shared with parents so families can make an informed decision on what their children are watching. When LGBTQ content is included in children’s programming without being identified and labeled, then parental rights are being taken away.
1MM has seen the same tactics in public schools with the transgender movement, where parents were excluded from decisions regarding transitioning a child’s sexual identity.
This is a critical moment to advocate for a ratings system that reflects today’s media realities and genuinely respects parental authority.
TAKE ACTION:
1MM urgently needs you to send a personal comment to the FCC, letting them know that the TV ratings have failed your family.
How to file a formal comment via the FCC's website:
The FCC will not accept general email comments. To be valid, you are required to file a formal comment via the FCC website (for FCC proceeding 19-41).
Please follow these instructions carefully to ensure your comment(s) will be accepted by the FCC:
Step 1: Click here to file your comment(s).
Step 2: In the Proceeding(s) box, enter the code 19-41 if not already included. Fill out the remaining required fields.
Step 3: Enter your comment(s) in the text box provided. Click the Continue to Review Screen button.
Step 4: Lastly, review your comment(s) and click Submit.
That’s it!
Feel free to use these talking points below (you may copy and paste) when you file your formal comment:
I rely on television ratings and content descriptors to make informed decisions about what programming enters my home. I appreciate the FCC’s decision to examine whether the current system is genuinely empowering parents in today’s media environment. In my experience, it does not.
Along with many other families, I was shocked to learn that programs created for, marketed to, and rated as appropriate for the very youngest members of the family frequently feature LGBTQ themes, messages, and characters – but the inclusion of this content is not labeled or disclosed. Nothing in the current rating system adequately informs and equips parents to evaluate whether the content presented is appropriate for their child(ren) and reflective of their family’s values.
When I shop for groceries, I review a food packaging label, evaluate the ingredients, and decide whether I am comfortable with my family consuming that product. It is a highly individual decision, and my choices in that matter do not affect or constrain the decisions of other families who may think differently than ours. Program content labeling should work along the same lines.
As an individual, I should have credible, complete information to make the best decision(s) for my family. Others may make different choices. But the lack of transparency in the entertainment industry sends the message that it either does not care about parental choice or intentionally and willfully works to subvert the authority and autonomy of parents who don’t agree with its political, social, and cultural agenda.
I am concerned that the companies producing and distributing content are the same companies that are determining how the content should be rated, and also the same companies granted “oversight” of the entire system. It’s a closed system that’s meant to protect industry interests over the interests of the families the ratings system was created to serve.
The many failures of the current rating system become especially apparent across distribution platforms where no single, uniform standard seems to apply. The burden falls on us, as parents, to learn how to navigate different systems and parental (control) standards, while standing firm against an often opposing multi-billion-dollar industry.
I urge the FCC to encourage reforms that improve clarity, consistency, and transparency in the ratings process, with meaningful parental input. Parents are not seeking censorship or editorial control—only honest, intelligible information on which we can rely.
Thank you for considering the perspective of families who depend on this system to function as intended.
