UP has been honored again by a TV watchdog group with a seal of approval as it launches a new reality series called "Bringing up Bates."
"If we give a program the [PTC] Seal of Approval it means that you can rely on the fact that there's not going to be a lot of sex, violence, or profanity on the program," says Melissa Henson of the Parents Television Council. "[It means] that it is something that you can watch with your kids in the room and you don't have to worry about being embarrassed or caught off-guard by inappropriate content."
The reality show, which debuted on UP on New Year's Day, focuses on Gil and Kelly Jo Bates, and their 19 children (ages 2 to 25).
PTC recently released a report examining every major broadcast network and every primetime show in the fall 2013 season that featured family as central to its storyline. According to that study, 99 percent of programs that claim to be about families aren't actually safe for family viewing.
"You expect that if it's about a family it's going to be something you can watch with your family," says Henson. "That's generally not the case – but fortunately it is the case with 'Bringing up Bates.'"
In an interview with The Christian Post, PTC president Tim Winter pointed out it's not the first time UP has been awarded their seal of approval.
"We have renewed our seal of approval of the UP Network every year since 2010," he said. "We continue to work with the UP Network and with other family-friendly networks to make sure our members, and the general public, are aware of their programming."
PTC believes the best way for viewers to express their concerns or complaints about TV content is to contact advertisers.
