ENTERTAINMENT RATINGS Coalition initiates awareness month

The goal is to emphasize the importance of enforcing the ratings system.
By BILL HUTCHENS
TACOMA NEWS TRIBUNE
Hooray for the DiMA and the IEMA! And NARM, NATO and the VSDA! Several entertainment industry trade groups have gotten together in an effort to educate game store employees and consumers -- especially parents -- about the mature content of some music, movies and video games.
No, they're not going to break your will with a barrage of acronyms. They've dubbed June "Entertainment Ratings & amp; Labeling Awareness Month."
The initiative comes from the newly formed Coalition of Entertainment Retail Trade Associations (CERTA). The five CERTA members are the Digital Media Association (DiMA), the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association (IEMA), the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM), the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) and the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA).
Where video games are concerned, you should expect to see more signs explaining the ratings system at most stores that sell games. You should expect employees of those stores to know all about that system. And if you're trying to buy a game rated M for "Mature," expect to be carded.
"Hopefully when a parent walks into a store, when they're in the video games section, they'll see plenty of signage," said Marie Sylla, a spokeswoman for the IEMA. "They should be able to ask questions of any employee and get good guidance."
Members of the IEMA include such major retailers as Wal-Mart, Blockbuster, Circuit City, Best Buy and other stores that sell video games. The IEMA has been sending its members reminders and updates about the importance of the ratings system, Sylla said.
The trade group did a study in December and found that only about half of its members were checking identification when selling M-rated games, Sylla said. In response, the IEMA got all of its members to agree to check I.D., she said.
Getting information out
The IEMA and the other CERTA members are targeting lawmakers and have hired a public-relations firm to get ratings information to media members during June, a month when many students are looking toward a summer of video gaming.
"We're doing a lot of government outreach," said Sylla, who directs government relations for the IEMA. "We've sent letters to the governors of all 50 states to refresh them on the ratings system and remind them to remind their constituents about ratings."
Similar letters went to members of Congress.
"We're hoping to get legislators to speak even for just a minute about the ... importance of using the ratings system," Sylla said.
Collectively, CERTA members represent more than 2,000 retailers and exhibitors who operate about 40,000 theaters, video and video game stores, music stores, online music sites and other retail establishments that offer entertainment products.
Entertainment Ratings & amp; Labeling Awareness Month will involve movie theaters, music stores, online music providers, video stores, video game retailers, and other entertainment retailers in a national education campaign on entertainment ratings.