6B - The Michigan Daily Weekend Magyiine- Thursday Ap 10, 1997]
TV industry to poll parents on ratigs system changes

0 0

The Michigan Daily '


The Associated Press
LAS VEGAS - The TV industry
Will ask parents whether major changes
should be made to the 3-month-old rat-
ings system, Jack Valenti, the executive
who oversaw its creation, said Monday.
Ranging from "TV-G" for all audi-
ences to "TV-MA;" mature audiences
only, the voluntary ratings have been
under a barrage of criticism from law-
makers and children's advocacy

groups for not providing parents with
enough detailed information about
shows' sexual, violent and language
content.
Valenti, who also is president of the
Motion Picture Association of America,,
made his remarks in an interview at the
National Association of Broadcasters
convention here.
Public Opinion Strategies and poll-
ster Peter Hart will jointly interview

more than 1,000 randomly selected par-
ents beginning next month.
But Valenti wouldn't say what results
would trigger major changes to the six-
tier, age-based ratings that went into
effect Jan. 1.
"Is it 51 percent or 64 percent? I
don't know," he
said. "There's no
line in the sand.:
Other studies T
say parents want
more detailed rat-
ings than the
movie-like ones ________
now in use.
Later, in remarks to the convention.
Valenti said:
"I have said publicly that we are
going to be very flexible with these
guidelines. We'll make some changes
here and there. But I want everybody to
know we are not going to make any
large revisions in these guidelines

unless and until real parents with real
kids tell us they want those changes to
be made." Broadcasters applauded
Valenti's comments.
In addition to the polls, Valenti said,
the TV industry would be talking to the
nation's roughly 1,600 TV stations to
get parental feed-
back on the rat-
ings' effective-
ness.
Despite critics'
complaints about
the ratings,
Valenti said in the



1
r
t

interfere.
"Let me put it about as plainly as I
can, Congress has no authority to lessen
the reach of the First Amendment. Not
now. Not tomorrow. Not ever," Valenti
said, drawing applause once again.
Responding to critics, some execu-
tives of Fox, cable leaders and some
trade association officials have been
floating the notion of adding "V," "S"
and "L' to existing ratings to note vio-
lence, sex and language that some may
consider offensive.
The Senate Commerce Committee
chairman, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.,
has signaled that unless the industry
acts on its own, he will move forward
on legislation that would require the TV
industry to provide more-detailed rat-
ings.
Valenti said he has briefed McCain
about the industry's polling plans. "He
gave no assurances or quid pro quos,
Valenti said.

I I

WALLENBERG
Continued from Page 3B
places of residence, which include 608 E. Madison St. and
1003 Huron St., have since been demolished.
"Rudy" left Ann Arbor, but never forgot it. Bartlett said she
found a letter that Wallenberg sent on Nov. 25, 1936, to Emil
Lorch, the former head of the School of Architecture, in
which he wrote, "My thoughts often go back to you and your
school:'
Into the world""
Upon graduation, Wallenberg I thins
returned to Sweden and dabbled in the
banking industry. He spent time in a sense i
Haifa, at his grandfather's request,
working in a bank. in someh
Here, Fine said, Wallenberg wit-
nessed the German persecution of the U'W I,$
Jews. "He had been to Haifa; he had him
seen some people fleeing from the .f
Nazis," Fine said.
After years of working in variousB
jobs and travelling, Wallenberg, at 32, Bentley H
became a Swedish diplomat and led an
effort to save Jews in Budapest, Hungary.
The War Refugee Board, which President Franklin Roosevelt
established during the war, encouraged neutral countries, like
Sweden, to help those people being persecuted in the war.
Through a variety of strategies - including bribery, flattery
and skillful planning - Wallenberg saved around 100,000 Jews
from Nazi persecution between July 1944 and January 1945,
according to many historians.
While on his way to a meeting with Russian commanders
Jan. 17, 1945, the Soviets arrested Wallenberg. It is unclear

k there is
of honor
iow being
ed with,
Nancy Bartlett
istorical Library

why he was arrested, and even more unclear what happened
to Wallenberg.
While he could still be alive, Fine said, "The best evidence
is that they (the Soviets) executed him:'
On Oct. 5, 1981, President Ronald Reagan signed into law
a bill that made Wallenberg an honorary citizen. The U.S.
government has granted only one other person this honor:
Winston Churchill.

The Wallenberg mystique
Wallenberg is

one of the

University's most famous alumni, and
although he left eampus more than 60
years ago, his presence still lingers. " I
think there is a sense of honor in
somehow being associated with him
and the institution;' Bartlett said.
The University has two physical
reminders of Wallenberg: an honorary
sculpture next to Rackham and another
at the Art and Architecture Building.
. Moreover, there are two annual lec-
tures - one on architecture and
another on human rights - and a
scholarship in Wallenberg's honor.



University of Colorado at Boulder
USE SUMMER TO

interview, "I'm
confident that what we're doing is right
and useful ... . It's very easy to criti-
cize:'
Valenti also told broadcasters that
TV ratings are not designed for
Congress or advocacy groups, but for
parents, who will be the final
arbiters. Congress, he said, shouldn't

Beyond the lectures, scholarship
and sculptures, his memory serves as inspiration for students.
Anthony Scaglione, an LSA senior and chair of Hillel's
Governing Board, said Wallenberg "embodies what the
University touts in its mandates for tolerance and multicul-
turalism."
While Wallenberg's disappearance remains a mystery, his
stature as a world hero and genuine humanitarian is stable,
according to most.
Fine said, "He just seems like a wonderful human being -
a genuine idealist."

I ____ T

c

Raoul Wallenberg's 'U' st

-I

Read "I
week's

YOUR ACADEMIC
PROGRESS
S ummer session on the Boulder campus is something special.
With over 500 campus courses to choose from, it's a relaxed,
comfortable learning environment. Classes are smaller. And
when you're not in class, you can soak up Boulder's mellow charm.
Or explore Boulder's backyard, a high country playground that
includes some of the country's most rugged and spectacular terrain.
Summer is a great time to get a jump on the next phase
of your educational goals.
FOR EXAMPLE:
VISITING STUDENTS. Take advantage of CU resources to
complete or enrich your own degree program.
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. Take a college course for
experience, to enhance your college application, or to
see if CU is the right school for you.
TEACHERS. Earn recertification credits and tap into every
thing the University has to offer.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. Increase your knowl-
edge base and build skills to enhance your capabilities.
ENRICHMENT. Give yourself the pleasure of an academic
challenge at CU this summer.
FOR MORE INFORMATIOM.
Call 303- 492-5146 or 800-331-2801 to request
a Summer Session catalog. Or visit our web site
www.colorado.edu/conted/Summer

C

r

April 11
George Bedard
& the Kingpins
April 18
March of Dimes
Collegiate Benefit
Concert
Lapdogs
Captain Ron
Rock TBA

U

p
U

April 10
World/Ethnic
Music Night
Liz Monblanco
Abdurrahman Barls
April 17
Aynsley Martindale
Jazz Combo TBA
Lower level of the Michigan League
911 N. University
Ann Arbor 48109-1265
For more information,
please call 763-4652.
Sponsored by
Michigan League Programming:
A Division ot Student Affairse

LOOKING FOR A JOB
NEXT FALL?
Apply now at the
Law Library -
Beat the September rush!!
* Jobs for non-Law Students
" Jobs for Law Students
" Jobs for S.1. Students
Also taking applications for
Spring and Summer.
Apply in person: Stop by
room S-180 in the underground
addition, 8-noon and 1-5,
Monday through Friday.
AAA OE

OPEN HoUSE
SHOWCASE
The School of Information welcomes
the University community to its spring
OPEN HOUSE
and
STUDENT PROJECTS SHOWCASE
on Wednesday, April 16, 1997.
Interested in grad school for this fall?
Come to the Open House to hear about
our new master's and doctoral programs.
Please RSVP for the Open House at
763-6035 or lcrum@umich.edu.
Be sure to check out our students' latest
projects at the Showcase. You'll be im-
pressed with what we do.
We look forward to seeing you!

Open House
1:20 - 3:15 p.m.
311 West Hall

Student Projects Showcase
1 - 6 p.m.
411 West Hall

Wednesday, April 16, 1997
The School of Information
http I/www.s1.umich.edul