Content letters (D, L, S, V, FV)

How to read it

The TV Parental Guidelines pair each age rating with content letters, which the Guidelines call content descriptors. D, L, S and V can be added to TV-PG, TV-14 and TV-MA; FV is used only with TV-Y7. A rating can carry more than one letter, and the letters appear with the rating icon in the upper-left corner of the screen at the start of the program. The same letter means stronger content at a higher rating: in the FCC’s example, the V in TV-PG-V means moderate violence and the V in TV-14-V means intense violence.

Also searched as: fv tv rating, tv content descriptors, tv-ma lsv, tv rating letters.

Each letter at each rating

The Guidelines’ own definitions, rating by rating:

FV, fantasy violence, marks TV-Y7 programs whose fantasy violence is more intense or more combative than other TV-Y7 programs. The Monitoring Board’s fact sheet glosses D as “usually means talk-about sex”.

Added in 1997

The industry’s first system, in use from January 1997, had the six age ratings only. After objections from parents’ groups, public health groups and members of Congress, the industry revised it with advocacy groups, adding the letters, and the revised Guidelines took effect on 1 October 1997. Not every network took the letters up at first: when the FCC accepted the system in March 1998, Commissioner Gloria Tristani noted that NBC did not apply content-based indicators.

Film descriptors are different

Films rated by the MPA do not use letters. Each PG-13 or R film gets a descriptor written for that film, such as a line naming its language and violence. The TV letters are the same five for every program.

Blocking by letter

A V-chip can block programs by age rating, by content letter, or by both. Under the FCC’s rules, a block on TV-PG-V also has to be able to block the more restrictive TV-14-V and TV-MA-V.