ParentCenter.com(R) Helps Families Survive the Long Winter Months With the New Family Entertainment Guide
Leading Parenting Site Partners With Common Sense Media(SM) to Provide Unbiased Ratings and Reviews That Help Parents Make Smart Media Choices

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- BabyCenter(R), L.L.C., todayannounced the launch of the Family Entertainment Guide on ParentCenter.com(R),the leading online resource for parents of children ages 2 to 8. The FamilyEntertainment Guide includes over 2,000 reviews with comprehensive,age-specific information about movies, TV programs, music, books, video games,and Web sites. ParentCenter.com(R) selected Common Sense Media(SM), a leadingnon-partisan, not-for-profit organization to provide the reviews and ratingsfor the new online guide.

A recent poll on ParentCenter.com(R) reveals that parents want a credibleresource to help them make smart media choices for their own family. Since 48%said they do not trust the MPAA(R) movie rating system, current ratingssystems are often failing to meet their needs. When asked who they would trustto provide guidance for selecting children's movies, more parents chose aparents' group or non-profit organization that specializes in reviewing familyentertainment than any other option.

ParentCenter's Family Entertainment Guide was created in partnership withCommon Sense Media(SM), an organization led by concerned parents and supportedby influential academics, business people, and child policy experts. "Like us,Common Sense Media recognizes how integral media has become in the lives ofmodern families," said Mari Baker, president of BabyCenter. "We selectedCommon Sense Media because of their insightful coverage of all types of familymedia -- not just movies -- and their dedication to empowering parents to makeresponsible choices based on their own family's values."

The Family Entertainment Guide helps parents keep up with theever-changing array of family entertainment and educational media options. Agerecommendations and star ratings give a quick overview. Color-coded ON, OFF,and PAUSE buttons provide more detailed ratings based on criteria that areimportant to families: drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, sexual content, rolemodels, commercialism, language, and violence -- including scariness.

The complete "Common Sense Review" provides in-depth guidance: forexample, the G-rated movie Polar Express was recommended for children ages sixand above, but the review also offered warnings about specific scenes thatmight scare younger children. Reviews posted by parents provide additionalinput, "Our daughter is four and we were looking for a good 'first movie' totake her to. Since Polar Express was rated G and I had heard goodword-of-mouth, it seemed like the right choice ... Had I read the Common Sensereview first we would have better known what to expect ... "

"Parents have told us that existing ratings systems don't offer enoughinformation about media content, and that the age guidelines are too broad.Also, parents don't trust them because most are industry sponsored, and don'tnecessarily have their interests in mind," said Jim Steyer, CEO and founder ofCommon Sense Media. "With more than 3 million parents visitingParentCenter.com and BabyCenter.com each month, our partnership enables us toreach far more parents and help them make the best media choices for theirfamilies."

Parents can subscribe to the ParentCenter(R) Bulletin, a weekly emailnewsletter with reviews of newly released movies, DVDs, and other media, alongwith important parenting news and advice at www.parentcenter.com. To try outthe ParentCenter(R) Family Entertainment Guide, visitwww.parentcenter.com/reviews/.

About BabyCenter(R)
BabyCenter(R), L.L.C., operates , the most visitedonline resource for new and expectant parents, and , theleading online resource for parents of children ages 2 to 8. Offeringextensive, medical advisory board-approved content, BabyCenter's Web sitesattract an average of 3 million visitors each month, as measured by comScoreMedia Metrix, and have been honored with numerous awards, including an OnlineJournalism Award. In addition, BabyCenter.com and ParentCenter.com offer anarray of interactive tools, a supportive online community, a premiumsubscription service, and an online store featuring thousands of products forparents and children. The BabyCenter(R), L.L.C., family of Web sites alsoincludes BabyCentre.co.uk. BabyCenter(R), L.L.C. is a member of the Johnson &Johnson Family of Companies.

About Common Sense Media(SM)
Common Sense Media(SM) is the leading non-partisan, non-profitorganization dedicated to improving kids' media lives. Our mission is to giveparents, educators, and kids a choice and a voice about the media theyconsume. Common Sense provides easy to use, reliable information about mediacontent. We believe in sanity, not censorship. Our goal is to providetrustworthy information and create a forum where adults and kids can learnfrom each other, speak out and participate in creating a responsible andenjoyable media environment for everyone. In addition, Common Sense Mediasends out a weekly on-line newsletter that provides up-to-the minute reviewsof the most recent media releases, parenting advice and important news andresearch on kids and media. For more information about Common Sense Media(SM)visit . To receive the newsletter, go to www.commonsensemedia/newsletter.org.