• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, November 5, 2010

TV pressure groups have been around for a long time. The key issue is whether there is more hot air now than actual hot tempers.

The New York Timesstory on the Parents Television Council gets to the heart of the issue: Just how many people do any of these TV pressure groups represent? Millions -- or maybe more like just 50,000?

It's hard to quantify. But this question brings up another: What kind of leverage does these groups have against advertisers and networks in the TV marketplace.

We actually hear less about these groups -- some with a religious bent, some not -- than in the past. Why? Because there are not only tons of places to get real information now, but ton of places to get risky entertainment content. Complainers are around for sure -- but can their messages rise above the growing din of media opinion-makers?

Worried about the 8 p.m. family hour? Forget it. Worry about what your kids might be doing in the privacy of their own laptops and cell phones.

Social media could in fact be a better tactic for groups that want to get TV networks' attention. Many networks are concerned about buzz levels from Facebook and Twitter. This kind of stuff can drive some key decisions -- even about content not focused on kids.

With so much media out there, more fractionalized, with thousands of different kinds of TV/video distribution platforms -- I would imagine it's tough to get funds mobilized around a select TV group -- one that essentially focuses on just broadcast television.

Forget about the Internet a second. TV pressure groups can't even do much harm to cable networks, which are still beyond the realm of Federal Communications Commission content rules that cover only broadcast television.

Outgoing Fox president of advertising sales Jon Nesvig said bluntly that TV pressure group boycotts just don't work -- perhaps because there is more variety in TV and other entertainment everywhere.

Putting the word "parents" in the title of an organization can trigger immediate interest in all those TV viewers that have children. But looking more closely can reveal a different picture. Whether the PTC has a sizable number of parents contributing to its group isn't the issue. It's about parents ceding control of their children's TV habits. There is spillage, to be sure. But talking to those who may still be too young to understand is still necessary.

Too many networks -- and nothing is on? Traditional media erosion still exists -- and TV networks are frightened. Some TV pressure is working.