HOLLYWOOD GETS AN A FTC SAYS KIDS SHIELDED FROM ADULT MATERIAL.

Byline: Bill Hillburg Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - Hollywood's reformed youth-marketing act earned a rave review on Friday from the Federal Trade Commission, which lauded the film industry's ongoing effort to shield minors from pitches for violent, R-rated movies.

The finding was the third positive progress report earned by Hollywood in the wake of a damning September 2000 FTC study that accused the entire entertainment industry of marketing violent fare to kids as young as 8.

While generally praising actions by the movie and electronic game industries, FTC Commissioner Orson Swindle said, ``The music industry continues to target young people explicitly in its advertising and, for the most part, refuses to provide content-based information that could help consumers.''

Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America and Hollywood's top Washington lobbyist, said that Friday's report ``confirms that Hollywood studios have redeemed their pledges to comply with the MPAA 12-point set of initiatives.''

The reform initiatives, announced within days of the 2000 FTC report, included banning persons age 16 and under from participating in test screenings for R-rated films. MPAA's member studios, which distribute and market most of Hollywood's output, also voluntarily halted the showing of trailers for R-rated movies in conjunction with G- and PG-rated films.

Hilary Rosen, chairman of the Recording Industry Association of America, defended music business marketing reforms.

``We continue to strengthen our efforts to educate parents and consumers alike about our voluntary parental advisory program,'' she said.

Rosen cited a finding in Friday's FTC report that all print ads for music with violent or sexually explicit lyrics now include the RIAA's Parental Advisory Label, compared with only 8 percent in 2000.

Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., an outspoken critic of Hollywood marketing and a darling of Tinseltown campaign contributors during his 2000 run for vice president, called the FTC report ``largely encouraging. It shows that the movie and video game industries are continuing to make progress in stopping the deceptive practice of directly marketing adult-rated products to children and that their self-regulatory systems are working.''

Earlier this year, Lieberman and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., withdrew a controversial bill that would have allowed the FTC to regulate entertainment marketing to youths.