- The group once had a major issue with WWE.
- It focused on broadcast television.
- Donations have dried up f,orcing its closure and liquidation.
It’s very rare that a group created to unofficially regulate content has any real impact. In the mid-80s, Tipper Gore, the wife of Vice President Al Gore, led the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC), which had some impact.
The PMRC wanted record labels to put warning labels on albums with explicit content. The problem, of course, wasn’t exactly the labels, but more who decided which records were explicit.
“Labeling is little more than truth in packaging, by now a time-honored principle in our free enterprise system,” Gore told a congressional hearing. “And without labeling, parental guidance is virtually impossible.”
Unlike many similar organizations, the PMRC actually succeeded.
“Gore and the PMRC eventually achieve their goals. Two months after the hearing, they strike a deal with the recording industry, which leads to the placement of stickers reading, ‘Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics’ in the bottom-right corner of certain albums,” NPR reported.
About a decade later, another similar group emerged, except this time, it wanted to regulate television. Much like Gore’s group, the question wasn’t as much “Should there be ratings?” as it was “How do you decide where the line is?”
That group, the Parents Television Council, later the Parents Television and Media Council (PTMC), has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and will be liquidated.
What was the PTC/PTMC?
The PTMC describes itself on its website:
“The PTC promotes and restores responsibility and decency to the entertainment industry in answer to America’s demand for positive, family-oriented television programming. The PTC does this by fostering changes in TV programming to make the early hours of prime time family-friendly and suitable for viewers of all ages,” it shared.
The group specifically targeted broadcast television.
Because of the pervasive and powerful influence of television, the PTC seeks to discourage the increasingly graphic sexual themes and dialogue, depictions of gratuitous violence, and profane/obscene language that have crowded out family viewing options.
The group had mixed success over the years, and now its end is coming, as it has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and will be liquidated.
“The Burbank-based organization filed the paperwork late last week in Delaware Bankruptcy Court. A total of 26 creditors were sent notices of the filing Thursday, according to court documents. The court has set meeting of those creditors for November 5,” IMDB reported.
At the time of filing, the PTMC claimed $91,873.93 in assets and $284,823.58 in liabilities.
Parents Television Media Council Chapter 7 bankruptcy details
- Filed: October 3, 2025
- Court: U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware
- Case No.: 1:25-bk-11794-TMH
- Type: Chapter 7 (liquidation)
- DBAs: Parents Television and Media Council, PTC, PTMC, ForEveryGirl, 4EveryGirl
- Assets: $91,874
- Liabilities: $284,824
- Reason: Financial insolvency after years of declining membership and donations
- Status: Organization ceasing operations and social media presence post-filing
Source: PacerMonitor
More Bankruptcy:
- Hollywood movie and TV company files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
- Major seafood company files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
- Women’s fashion company files Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Parents Television (and Media) Council (PTC/PTMC) timeline
- 1995: Founded by L. Brent Bozell III as a project of the Media Research Center.
- 1998: PTC (with help from Steve Allen) launches a national newspaper advertising campaign calling for the entertainment industry to “clean up” sex and violence on prime time television.
- 2000: PTC incorporated as a separate legal entity (splitting from MRC in practice).
- 2003-2004: PTC becomes highly active in filing indecency complaints, especially after the 2004 Super Bowl “wardrobe malfunction” involving Janet Jackson. (PTC was the source of a large portion of FCC indecency complaints.)
- 2004-2006: PTC targets multiple TV shows for content (e.g., “That ’70s Show,” “Without a Trace”), pushing for regulatory action.
- 2000 (November): WWE (then WWF) sues PTC/MRC for defamation, copyright infringement, and related claims over statements made by PTC.
- 200: PTC settles with WWE for $3.5 million, and Bozell issues a public apology regarding claims about WWE causing children’s deaths.
- 2005-2010: PTC publishes annual “Best and Worst Shows for Family Viewing,” releases several media analysis reports (on profanity, violence, sexual content).
- 2008: Financial difficulties; PTC reports losses. Staff cuts begin in following years.
- 2010: PTC’s influence begins to wane; internal critiques emerge about fundraising, membership claims, and operational efficiency.
- April 14, 2021: Name change from “Parents Television Council” to Parents Television and Media Council, to reflect broader media scope.
- October 3, 2025: PTC files for bankruptcy (Chapter 7/liquidation) in Delaware.
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