Parents TV Council Announces Rock Island Chapter

LOS ANGELES (August 18, 2010) - The Parents Television Council™, the nation's most influential advocacy organization protecting children from graphic sex, violence and profanity in the media, announced Beth Oerman as the director of its new Rock Island grassroots chapter.

The Rock Island Chapter, Illinois' fourth chapter, will be the go-to source for information on how local youth can be affected by the media, what content they are being exposed to, and what people can do about it.

"My goal is to see the day when it is possible once again for families to sit down together and watch prime time television while not having to worry about the constant onslaught of sex, violence, and profane language. I plan to lead Rock Island residents to become instruments of change. Together we will make sure local broadcasters know that we care what is shown on our public airwaves and that we expect better," Oerman said.

Each PTC chapter has campaigns related to broadcast and cable television, movies, the Internet and video games. Oerman is particularly interested in exposing the dangers of adult video games and how easily youth can acquire them today.

"With video game violence being more real and explicit than ever, more needs to be done to safeguard children from purchasing these titles," said Oerman. "This fall, the U.S. Supreme Court will discuss whether states can pass laws to keep adult games out of the hands of youth. With the amount of explicit violence in these adult games, I believe parents need legislation like this to help us keep these titles out of the hands of children."

Oerman is a leader in her community. She is the founder and director of Read to Succeed, a local non-profit that promotes the fundamentals of reading by building a fun and safe atmosphere. Education has always been a passion for Oerman. She served previously as a library helper, tutor and classroom helper.

"Beth is a great addition to our growing network of successful grassroots chapters in Illinois. Parents and families are concerned about the harmful effect media content can have on our children and grandchildren. With Beth's leadership, passion and integrity, we look forward to seeing great success from our newly chartered Rock Island Chapter," said PTC President Tim Winter.

The Parents Television Council® (www.parentstv.org®) is a non-partisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment. It was founded in 1995 to ensure that children are not constantly assaulted by sex, violence and profanity on television and in other media. This national grassroots organization has more than 1.3 million members and 56 chapters across the United States, and works with television producers, broadcasters, networks and sponsors in an effort to stem the flow of harmful and negative messages targeted to children. The PTC™ also works with elected and appointed government officials to enforce broadcast decency standards. Most importantly, the PTC produces critical research and publications documenting the dramatic increase in sex, violence and profanity in entertainment. This information is provided free of charge so parents can make informed viewing choices for their own families.