WASHINGTON,
DC (June 1, 2005) – A new website and a public service
announcement that are designed to help parents make informed
entertainment choices for their families were unveiled today by the
Coalition of Entertainment Retail Trade Associations (CERTA). The
website, located at www.erlam.org,
provides information in multimedia formats about the motion picture
rating system; the computer and video game rating system; the music
labeling system; and the entertainment ratings and labeling policies of
motion picture theatres, video stores, computer and video game
retailers, and music retailers. The public service announcement, which
will run on in-store monitors in approximately 5,000 video stores,
reminds parents that the movie and video game ratings systems and music
labeling systems exist to help them guide their children’s
entertainment consumption.
The
website and public service announcement were launched in conjunction
with the start of Entertainment Ratings & Labeling Awareness Month.
CERTA declares each June to be Entertainment Ratings & Labeling
Awareness Month as an annual reminder to parents to learn more about and
use the ratings and labeling information available to them. CERTA also
uses Entertainment Ratings & Labeling Awareness Month to remind
retailers to ensure that in-store educational materials are current and
easily available to the public and that their employees are well-versed
on their ratings and labeling policies.
On
the website, parents will find the public service announcement, a
PowerPoint presentation that explains the ratings and labeling systems,
links to the organizations that administer the systems, and information
about Entertainment Ratings & Labeling Awareness Month.
According
to CERTA, “While parents have the ultimate responsibility for
determining which movies, computer and video games, and music recordings
are appropriate for their families,
entertainment
retailers understand that they have a role to play in educating parents
about the tools available for making informed decisions and in helping
them make appropriate decisions. We believe these resources will empower
parents to control their families’ entertainment choices.”
The
website was created by CERTA, whose member trade associations
collectively represent more than 2,000 retailers and exhibitors, who
operate more than 40,000 theatres, video and video game stores, music
stores, online music sites, and other retail establishments that offer
entertainment products. CERTA
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members
are: Digital Media Association (DiMA); Interactive Entertainment
Merchants Association (IEMA); National Association of Recording
Merchandisers (NARM); National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO); and
Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA).