Rating System

The Better Business Bureau, which has been under fire for boosting the ratings of businesses that became dues-paying members, said Thursday that it would alter its rating process. "For nearly 100 years, the BBB has stood for public trust, and we are taking these steps to maintain that trust," said Steve Cox, chief executive of the Council of Better Business Bureaus in Washington. "Given the feedback, we feel it is our duty to take immediate steps to address the concerns raised and enhance our ability to help consumers easily and quickly find trustworthy businesses," Cox said.

Chris Dodd, chairman and chief executive of the Motion Picture Assn. of America, announced a new "Check the Box" movie ratings awareness campaign Tuesday morning at CinemaCon, the National Assn. of Theater Owners' annual convention in Las Vegas. The campaign encourages parents to use the rating descriptors that are featured for every film rated PG or higher to make decisions about what films are family friendly and appropriate for their children. PHOTOS: Celebrities by The Times "Throughout its existence, the goal of the rating system has never changed: to inform parents and allow them to make their own decisions, considering the children's sensibilities and unique sensitivities," said Dodd.

Your article on salad mixes (Bag That Salad, Aug. 25) confirmed what I had suspected all along: These mixes are high in price and low in quality. And speaking of quality, your quality ratings aren't very informative. There's no scale and no indication of what the numbers mean. Is 1 high or low? Is the range 1 to 5? 1 to 10? 1 to 100? It makes a difference. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 the best and 1 the worst, I give your quality rating system a 1. --MARY TERRILL Torrance Editor's Note: We goofed.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will post a request online Friday morning soliciting comments in the Federal Register on a range of topics, including a proposed "Silver Car Rating System for Older Occupants. " All of the comments are being sought for possible changes in the NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), which provides vehicle information that enables consumers to compare the safety performance and features of new vehicles. "A 'silver car' rating system in NCAP could be developed as a tool for providing crash safety information for older consumers," the request for comments said.

Re "Toss and Tumble," by Ronald Collins, Commentary, March 3: I hate to argue against idealism, but Collins needs to step into reality. Television programs are created to keep consumers' attention until the next aired commercial. It is that simple. As the Home Shopping Network has proven, programming at all might be optional. "Free" television is presently struggling with all of its cable competition and desperately needs to create new methods of maintaining its audience to pay the rent at the studio.

"The Perils of Pedicure: Health Officials Warn of Unclean Foot Baths" (May 4) was scary . . . and disgusting! Like food establishments, nail salons should be examined, tested and rated periodically, with ratings clearly posted. Realistically, how many consumers will "insist" on foot spa disinfecting procedures between customers and know whether those procedures are being performed properly or not? BARBARA SMITH Los Angeles

The nation's four television networks are in talks to establish a rating system, similar to the one used in motion pictures, in an effort to head off the threat of government regulation of programs with violent or sexual content, sources said Wednesday. Top executives from ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox have been meeting in New York and Los Angeles in an attempt to forge an agreement in advance of a White House summit later this month on television violence, the sources said.

The film industry movie-rating system, which was severely criticized on Thursday in a 15-page opinion issued by the New York judge presiding over a ratings suit, faces two more challenges next week. Miramax Films said on Friday that it will appeal the decision upholding the X rating given to "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!

No one argues that quality measurement on health care provided by individual doctors is desirable ["Blue Cross to Rate Doctors," Oct. 10]. However, we must have some assurance that the yardstick is appropriate. My trusting self tells me that Blue Cross of California is finally paying more attention to quality than merely the bottom line. My cynical self and experience with Blue Cross, however, tell me that this will likely be just another scheme to justify a lower reimbursement rate to most physicians while claiming that the current rate is already serving as the bonus promised for the chosen few. It will be one of the happiest days in my life to be proved wrong in my skepticism.

While acknowledging that the current movie ratings system has "served the public interest and the (film industry) for years," the Writers Guild of America on Friday added its voice to the chorus of critics calling for changes. "Our feeling is that there is something wrong (with the ratings system)," said WGA West President George Kirgo, adding his personal view that the ratings have not "kept up with the times."

One of the most valuable pieces of information about a video game is also the simplest: the rating that tells parents what ages the story and graphics are suitable for and why it might not be right for younger users. But as games have moved from computers and consoles to mobile devices, the rating systems have multiplied. Apps for the iPhone and the iPad, Facebook, Android devices, BlackBerrys, Kindles and Windows phones all go through separate ratings processes, each with its own set of labels.

In the 1970s, clothing shoppers were advised in a popular advertising jingle from the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union to "look for the union label. " In that same spirit, anyone shopping for an energy-efficient home today would be well-advised to look for the sky-blue Energy Star label. No disrespect toward LEED, Energy Performance and GreenPoint, all of which are fine rating systems in their own right, but Energy Star seems to have become most popular among home builders looking to differentiate themselves from the competition.

Allergic to peanuts? Need a gluten-free restaurant? What about eggs, shellfish or dairy? No problem. Even at Walt Disney World. Name: http://www.allergyeats.com What it does : Provides a peer-reviewed directory of more than 600,000 restaurants across the U.S. Includes menus (including gluten-free), allergen lists, certifications, nutritional info and more. What's hot: This website is built by a dad with five kids, three of whom have food allergies.

Do movies need a ratings system? Yes. Is the Motion Picture Assn. of America doing it well? Not even close. Should things change? Of course they should. And that change should happen now, over the movie"Bully"and the issues of decency and common sense it raises. This film, directed by Lee Hirsch, follows the real-life stories of five bullied kids over the course of a school year. It's a story kids everywhere should see. But it will be released this weekend with no rating, a risky move since fewer theaters are likely to show it. That decision was forced by the MPAA, which despite ample protests insisted on giving "Bully" an R rating, putting it off limits for kids younger than 17 unless accompanied by an adult.

The Redcoats are coming! The Redcoats are coming! Remember what your elementary school teacher taught you about the War of Independence? The British wore scarlet coats, which made them easy marks and symbolized institutional pomposity, adherence to status over efficiency and an out-of-touch empire bent on doing things the old way. The rebellious American colonists, on the other hand, wore whatever; they were nimble, unencumbered by institutional baggage...

For the third year in a row, Virgin America has been named the greenest airline operating commercial flights in the U.S. by Greenopia , a Santa Barbara-based research and eco-consumer advocacy group. Continental Airlines was named the greenest of the major carriers. Delta Air Lines got a nod for showing the most improvement in sustainability in the last year. To measure the overall "greenness" for its recently released ratings, Greenopia looked at factors such as how transparent the company is about its energy consumption; how easy it is for passengers to purchase carbon offsets; how much recycling is done on flights; and how much the company spends to research alternative fuels.

Not every parent will agree with Marlena McDermott on the subject of controversial art and kids. But her concerns on the issue undoubtedly reflect the trouble many parents have grappling with this thorny issue. McDermott, who organizes children's cultural activities for the Parent Teacher Assn. at El Morro Elementary School in Laguna Beach, is a painter.

"Guns, knives and violent acts on television" are dangerous to kids, a citizen of Peoria, Ill., proclaimed at Monday's town hall meeting there to hash over the industry's infant program rating system with entertainment leaders and a congressional subcommittee. Most Peorians who were present appeared to share her sentiments. So, obviously, viewers are fed up with television violence. Yes, so fed up that an average of 22.

The Better Business Bureau of the Southland is getting another shakeup at the top. William Mitchell, who led the organization for 26 years, has quietly resigned — for a second time — after criticism over the group's rating system for businesses and his compensation, which exceeded $400,000 a year. Mitchell previously announced his resignation in December, only to rescind it in February. At the time, Mitchell said he was needed to fend off efforts by the national Council of Better Business Bureaus to take control of the local group.

The beleaguered head of the local Better Business Bureau, who resigned in December amid controversy over the group's letter-grade rating system and his high salary, has rescinded his resignation and vowed to fight to restore his reputation. William Mitchell, who made more than $400,000 in 2008 running the Southern California chapter, had resigned in the middle of an audit of the chapter by the National Council of Better Business Bureaus. But on Monday, he circulated an e-mail to his staff in which he criticized the Washington-based national council, saying executives were trying to take over the Southern California chapter and pack its board of directors with their own people.