TV ratings fail parents, study finds

Violent dramas on the broadcast networks carry milder parental cautions than cable shows such as “The Walking Dead” but can equal them in graphic gore, a failure of the TV ratings system, according to a new study.

Scenes of stabbings, shootings, rape, decapitation and mutilation invariably received a TV-14 “parents strongly cautioned” rating on network TV, according to the Parents Television Council study released Monday. But similar fare on cable typically was given the most stringent label, TV-MA for mature audiences only, researchers for the media watchdog group found.

“There are zero-point-zero series rated TV-MA on broadcast,” said the media watchdog council’s president, Tim Winter, despite programs that are awash in violent scenes.

It is vital to examine the media’s effect on children and real-world violence, Winter said, adding that he hopes his nonpartisan group’s findings are part of a wide-ranging search for solutions.

The study of 14 series during a fourweek period found a 6 percent difference in the overall incidence of violence of all types on cable versus broadcast, with 1,482 violent acts on the cable programs and 1,392 on the network series.

Federally regulated broadcasters face sanctions if they cross the line on indecency or expletives but not violence. With competition from unregulated cable and its variously daring series such as “Breaking Bad” and “Masters of Sex,” networks have resorted to more mayhem.

Episode ratings are decided by networks and cable channels, similar to how the movie studios’ Motion Picture Association of America self-governs by issuing its own movie ratings. The TV Parental Guidelines Monitoring Board, which comprises TV industry members and public interest advocates, checks for ratings uniformity and responds to public complaints. It received 38 complaints in the past year.