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MomJunction Raises $1.5 Million in First Round of Funding

Authored by dmw on January 4, 2007 - 2:48pm.
New York - MomJunction, a New York-based social networking website for mothers, has raised $1.5 million in its first round of venture capital, led by a group of media and technology investors, including PointRoll CEO Christopher Saridakis and founder Jules Gardner, as well as entrepreneur Pat Croce. Founded last year, MomJunction allows users to create or join online groups to coordinate schedules, exchange tips, share pictures and information, and trade items.
tags: Deals | Internet | VC | Social Networking | Online Communities | Parents | MomJunction | Mothers |

Game Crazy Launches Parents' Guide to Game Buying

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on December 11, 2006 - 4:18pm.
Wilsonville, Ore. - Game Crazy, the nation's second-largest specialty game retailer, on Monday announced the launch of a new program that will help parents choose video games for their children. The program includes a "Parents' Guide to Game Buying" brochure, offered both online and at the company's 650 retail locations. Game Crazy said it will also post signage about ESRB game ratings and help explain the ratings system to parents.
tags: Games | ESRB | Parents | Ratings System | Game Crazy |

MTV Networks Unit Launches ParentsConnect.com

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 18, 2006 - 1:13pm.
New York - Viacom's Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group on Monday announced the public beta launch of ParentsConnect.com, an online community for parents. The site will feature content from Nickelodeon's recent GoCityKids website acquisition, and allow users to search for parental advice and activities sorted by children's age, location and personal interests. Parents can create a customized home page and blog that updates with local activities, relevant news and discussion board postings. The company plans to launch ParentsConnect TV, a broadband video companion site features user-created content, in the fourth quarter.
tags: Launches | Internet | Video | TV | MTV | Nickelodeon | Online Communities | Parents | ParentsConnect.com |

Study: 35% of U.S. Parents Are Gamers; Majority Object to Govt. Restrictions

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 26, 2006 - 8:54am.
Washington - Thirty-five percent of American parents say they play computer and video games, according to a national survey conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates on behalf of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), a video game industry trade group. Of these gamer parents, 80% said they play video games with their kids, and 66% said they feel playing games has brought their families closer together. The study found that 36% of gamer parents introduced their children to games, while 23% began playing after their children did; the typical gamer parent is 37 years old. The survey also found that 85% of voting parents (both gamers and non-gamers) said that parents -- as opposed to government, retailers or game publishers -- should take the most responsibility in monitoring the games their kids play. Sixty percent said the government should not regulate game sales to protect minors from violent or sexual content. "This research suggests that proposals to regulate video games may backfire with American voters who, unlike some elected officials, appear to fully understand that they should control the entertainment that comes into their homes," said ESA president Doug Lowenstein.
tags: U.S | Study | Gamers | Parents | Govt. Restrictions |

Survey: 91% Favor Parents Over Government Rules for TV Indecency

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 29, 2005 - 9:55am.
Washington - Some 81% of Americans who watch TV are concerned about what programs their kids are watching, but just 9% of parents want increased government control over programming, with 91% instead favoring more parental involvement, according to a survey conducted by Russell Research for TV Watch, a group that opposes government control of TV programming. "People see something on TV they don't like, and some activists yell from the rooftops calling for more government intervention, but that's not what people want," TV Watch executive director Jim Dyke told The Hollywood Reporter. "The vast majority of the people don't want the government making their programming decisions." The survey also found that 85% of parents found TV ratings useful, and 56% found the V-chip -- the device in all new TVs that provides parental controls over programming -- to be useful, although usage data for the technology shows that few parents actually use it. "Some people use the V-chip, some people watch TV with their kids, some people turn it off," added Dyke. The survey was released to coincide with a Senate forum Tuesday on the state of TV programming, organized by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska).
tags: Law | Survey | Parents | TV Indecency |

Study: Parents Agree With Video Game Ratings

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 14, 2005 - 7:27am.
New York - Parents shown video footage samples of video games agreed with the industry's voluntary ratings for the games 82% of the time, while another 5% of the time they regarded the ratings as "too strict," according to a survey conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates on behalf of the industry's Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), which assigns game ratings. The survey of 400 parents, culled from shopping malls in 10 U.S. cities, showed each parent footage from 8 of 80 randomly selected computer and video games that were assigned ESRB ratings within the past year. "This is a definitive assessment of agreement with the ESRB ratings because it considers the views of those who actually interact with the ratings the most, namely parents of children that play video games," said Jay Campbell, of Peter D. Hart Research Associates. "It is especially impressive that parents' level of agreement with the ratings is as broad as it is deep; parents of children of all ages agree that game ratings are accurate."
tags: Ratings | Video Game | Study | Parents |

Entertainment Retailers Produce Joint PSA for Parents on Ratings Systems

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 1, 2005 - 4:58am.
Washington -- A coalition of entertainment industry retailers comprising music, movies and video games on Wednesday introduced a new website and public service announcement intended to inform parents on the various ratings systems they employ -- as part of Entertainment Ratings & Labeling Awareness Month. The Coalition of Entertainment Retail Trade Associations (CERTA) -- which includes the 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) -- represents 2,000 retailers and exhibitors that operate more than 40,000 theaters, video and video game stores, music stores and other retail outlets. The website provides information in multimedia formats on the motion picture, music and video game ratings systems, and the policies of companies that sell such media. The coalition's public service announcement is also set to run on in-store monitors in 5,000 video stores.
tags: Entertainment | Parents | PSA | Ratings Systems |

Study: Parents Find Video Game Ratings "Highly Accurate"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 22, 2004 - 4:38am.
New York -- The vast majority of parents (83%) agree with video game ratings set by the industry's Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), according to a study conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates on behalf of the industry ratings group. The study showed 401 randomly selected parents a compilation of video footage from 80 recent console and PC games, and asked them to provide their own rating before being told of the ESRB rating. They were then asked to describe the ESRB rating as "about right," "too strict" or "too lenient." Parents found the ratings to be "about right" 83% of the time, and further found them "too strict" 5% of the time. In a separate announcement, eight members of Congress on Monday urged parents to check the ESRB rating on video games before buying them for their children this holiday season. The statement was endorsed by Senators Santorum, Kohl, Allen, and Ensign and Representatives Pelosi, Blunt, Hoyer, and Coble. "The ratings system makes it crystal clear whether or not the content of the video game is appropriate for young children. With such a vast array of games available, parents will be able to find a suitable gift for the all the kids on their list with just a pause to check the ratings," said Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI).
tags: Video Game | Study | Parents | Highly Accurate |

Survey: 40% of Parents Unaware File-Sharing of Copyrighted Material Illegal

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 17, 2004 - 5:15am.
Los Angeles -- A new survey conducted by Nielsen NRG for the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has found that, despite the MPAA and RIAA media and legal campaigns intended to thwart illegal file-sharing, nearly 40% of parents are unaware that file swapping of copyrighted materials is illegal. Over 40% of the 396 parents who participated in the recent telephone survey know that their kids download music and movies over the Internet, and 55% of them know their kids did not pay for the content, while another 15% are unsure. In addition, one-third of those parents who have downloaded movies and music learned how to do so from their kids. "The same caring and conscientious parents who dedicate themselves to making sure that their kids are safe and conduct themselves lawfully and ethically in the real world abandon that role in cyberspace," said Robin Raskin, former editor-in-chief of FamilyPC. Rich Taylor, vice president of public affairs for the MPAA, added that, "Once parents take the time to get the facts and have the increasingly important 'download discussion,' they are taking yet one more step in keeping their family safe and raising good 'digital citizens.'"
tags: Copyright | File-Sharing | Survey | Illegal | Parents |