CHICAGO and SAN FRANCISCO, April 8, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tribune Media Services (TMS), the leading provider of entertainment information databases, and Common Sense Media, the nation's leading nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the impact of media and entertainment on kids and families, are forming a partnership to make online and set-top-box program guides more helpful for parents. The joint effort will make detailed, age-based information about TV shows and movies easily accessible to millions of parents nationwide.
"This partnership could not have come at a better time," said Anne Zehren, president of Common Sense Media. "With a new administration in office that has already pledged to make technology education for parents a top priority, and an incoming FCC chairman who supports our work in media literacy, there is an increased focus on getting helpful tools into parents' hands. Our collaboration with Tribune Media Services will make it even easier to connect parents with the information they need right at the point of decision to make smart, age-appropriate media choices for their kids."
"Perhaps most exciting is how this will enable our cable and satellite partners to feature age-based ratings for parents directly in their onscreen programming guide," added Zehren.
Based on childhood development criteria, Common Sense Media's ratings system helps parents make decisions about which movies, video games, TV shows, Web sites, books and music are right for their kids. TMS will link its TV and movie databases to Common Sense Media's library of more than 8,000 reviews and educational resources, using TMS' widely used program ID numbers. The partnership will make it easier for Common Sense Media's online and onscreen partners to bring guidelines and detailed information on content directly to parents through interactive TV programming guides, Web sites, and news feeds -- right at the critical point of decision.
"We are pleased to make Common Sense Media's rating system available to our clients and to the millions of parents who rely on TMS' television metadata to guide their viewing decisions each day," said Jay Fehnel, VP Entertainment Products, Tribune Media Services. "Linking our TV and movie databases to Common Sense Media's ratings provides an easy-to-implement solution for our clients, while enabling them to provide a highly valued service to their customers."
TMS powers the nation's leading television and movie guide products which reach millions of consumers through clients including Comcast, Cox, DirecTV, Dish Network, TiVo, IMDB, Yahoo!, AOL, The New York Times and USA Today.
Common Sense Media reviews provide parents with detailed information about the content of movies, TV, shows, video games, and books -- including violence, sexual content, and profanity -- to help parents select quality entertainment. Common Sense has business partnerships with some of today's leading media companies, including: Yahoo!, Time Warner Cable, DirecTV, Comcast, Cox, AOL, and Netflix, as well as the largest media retailer in the country, Best Buy.
About Tribune Media Services
Tribune Media Services' Entertainment Products division is an international leader in entertainment navigation. It provides industry-leading databases of TV, movie and celebrity information; guides in print, online and on-screen formats; and advertising and marketing services to build audiences. For more information about TMS Entertainment Products visit TribuneMediaServices.com.
The Tribune Media Services logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=6057
About Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media is the nation's leading nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the impact of media and entertainment on kids and families. Common Sense Media provides trustworthy ratings and reviews of media and entertainment based on child development criteria created by leading national experts. For more information, visit commonsensemedia.org.
The Common Sense Media logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=6008