Ratings System

Since 1968, when the MPAA ratings system was created as a successor to the more censorious Hays Code, the Motion Picture Assn. of America has wielded enormous power over movies. Foreign, art and independent films, which can be stopped in their tracks by the dread NC-17 rating, have been particularly vulnerable to the board's mercurial decisions.

Nielsen Media Research Inc.'s plan to begin releasing data on TV commercial viewership is already stirring controversy, with a major advertising company questioning the ratings firm's methodology. "We are somewhat disturbed by Nielsen's plans," said Magna Global, which oversees several large ad-buying agencies, in a report released Wednesday. "These are not commercial ratings, nor are they an acceptable surrogate."

In a bid to head off a government crackdown on television indecency, top TV and cable industry executives met Monday to discuss ways to improve TV's decade-old ratings system. The meeting came amid growing concern by lawmakers about shows containing sex, violence and profanity.

Regarding "Debate Flares Anew Over Violence in Video Games," Oct. 5: If this weren't such an important issue, I would find it laughable that the Entertainment Software Ratings Board claims that its video game ratings are a reliable way for parents to protect their children from violent content. There are two fatal flaws -- not widely known but well known enough by those with a vested interest in the matter -- that make the current "on-pack" video game ratings system virtually worthless: First, the ratings board is an arm of the Entertainment Software Assn.

Clear Channel Communications Inc., the largest U.S. radio broadcaster, is seeking proposals for a new audience rating system to replace what it calls the antiquated use of personal diaries manually kept by listeners. Arbitron Inc., the current provider, will be among those invited to make a proposal, San Antonio-based Clear Channel said Monday in a statement.

Fewer people have been hospitalized with food-borne diseases in the last few years, in large part because of the restaurant-grading system in Los Angeles County, according to a new study in the Journal of Environmental Health. The study, published in the March issue, associated a 13.1% decrease in hospitalizations for the most common food-borne illnesses with the county's revamping of its restaurant inspection system in 1998. Dr.

A coalition of parent, church and women's groups released a list Tuesday of what they considered the 10 most violent video games, warning parents about the inadequacies of the industry to regulate sales to children and teens.

This weekend, in San Francisco and the Napa Valley, Robert M. Parker Jr. will be honored at a series of events marking the 25th anniversary of his influential newsletter, the Wine Advocate. No doubt a slew of highly rated wines will be uncorked and participants will debate the relative merits of this 96-pointer and that 94-pointer.

Thank you for the insightful article "Decoding Hotel Ratings: What's a Star-Crossed Traveler to Do?" [Internet Traveler, Aug. 29]. One thing you didn't mention, which I think is pertinent, is that InterActiveCorp also owns TripAdvisor and Citysearch. This is frightening to independent hotels such as mine, which have become more of a target for businesses such as Hotels.com, Travelocity and Expedia as chain hotels regain control of their pricing and inventory. The fear stems from rating systems that don't allow for the uniqueness of a market or property.

Spanish-language media giant Univision Communications Inc. sued Nielsen Media Research on Wednesday, seeking to block the TV-ratings firm from launching its controversial new measurement system next month in Los Angeles. Univision charged that Nielsen planned to adopt "a flawed and knowingly deceptive" system. The result, Univision said in the Los Angeles County Superior Court lawsuit, would be significantly lower TV station ratings and lower advertising revenue for the company.