Jassification ARAL TEL 1-818-936-7861 Jul 28,92 9:22 No.001 P.02 nd stings NEWS RELEASE — THE VOLUNTARY MOVIE RATING SYSTEM Contact: MPAA POR INMRDIATE RELEASE Barbara Dixon Eligabeth Barnes 202/293-1966 Charlene Soltz 212/840-6161 naz Mary Ann Orasso 818/506-1778 MPAA AND NATO ANNOUNCE EXPLANATIONS FOR PG AND PG-13 RATINGS Washington, D.C., July 28, 1992 In an expansion of an ongoing effort to help parents guide the viewing habits of their children, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) announced today that rating explanations currently provided for R-rated films will be extended to PG and PG-13 rated films. The announcement was made by Jack Valenti, president and Chief Executive Officer of MPAA; William Kartozian, outgoing President of NATO; and Bud Rifkin, incoming President of the exhibitor organization. In a joint statement, Valenti, Kartozian and Rifkin Said: “The sole objective of the almost 24-year old voluntary movie rating system is to give some advance Cautionary (explanatory) information to parents, so that they can guide the movie-going of their young children. Because of the hospitable reception of explanations for R- rated movies, we are moving forward by extending that same kind of information for PG and PG-13 rated films."CARA: TEL +1-818-986-7861 Jul 28.92 9#22 No.d01 P.Wo The use of rating explanations for the R category was introduced on September 27, 1990. This information is sent to theaters in the United States, to film critics for TV, newspapers and magazines, and to video retailers. These bulletins also will now contain rating explanations for PG and 6-13 films, "Because customer service ie a top priority in our business," said Phil Singleton, Senior Vice Pzesident and COO of AMC Theatres, “we feel this is an excellent extension of the effort to bring quality and service to our public." MPAA and NATO urge film critics to include these explanations in their reviews of current movies. Additionally, theatre owners and video retailers can respond more readily to parents who seek further information as to why @ film received its particular rating. Pete Wargel, President and COO, United Artists Theatre Circuit commented: "We're pleased that the MPAA and NATO have taken the step to further qualify the ratings of PG-13 and PG movies. It can only serve to improve motion picture exhibition's relationship with the movie-going public since people will now have accegs to information to help them make a more inforsied decision, ' Kent Dickinson, President of Dickinson Theatres, added: “Many patrons ask about the ‘why’ of ratings. ‘This action shows that our industry wants to answer such questions openly.” And Russ Wintner, President of Natione] Theatres, pointed out: “This additional information will help parents apply their own personal parental values more consistently and Carefully when determining which filma they want their children to sea." The voluntary movie rating system, founded in November 1968 by MPAA and NATO, classifies films in five categoriest G, PG, PG-13, R and NC-17, Bach rating is a federally registered cértification mark and may not be self-applied. At the present time the rating system enjoys wide parental approval, according to a natlonwide gurvey Conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation of Princeton, New Jersey. This annual survey revealed in 1991 that among Parente with children under 13 years old, 73% believe the rating system is "Very Useful to Fairly Useful" in helping parents guide the movie viewing of their children. #8 . tpt ee "