X-rated political ads?

This season’s spate of false, misleading and attacking political ads has pushed Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune to such frustration that he is calling for television ads to get ratings like those placed on movies.

Portune wants to create a rating system to apply to all televised political ads and wants local television stations to voluntarily adopt and adhere to it.

Calling the tone and content of this year’s ads “an all-time low,” Portune – who is not up for re-election -- is sending letters to national and local political leaders and area television stations seeking to have ads rated.

Like the movie rating system, Portune wants political ads to carry the ratings G, PG, PG-13, R and X – and NR, or not rated, for any candidate or issue television ads that don’t voluntary participate in the rating system.

The rating would be done by entities beginning with the Hamilton County Board of Elections and including others like the League of Women Voters of Greater Cincinnati and local cable and broadcast television stations.

In addition to the politicians, Portune blames election laws for the proliferation of sleazy ads, noting they “are poorly worded and fail to safeguard against the kinds of abuses we are witnessing in present day political advertising.”

“Obviously,” Portune noted, “there are a lot of details that would have to be worked out under such a voluntary system. But those are detail questions, not arguments against moving forward with a rating system.”

Candidates, political parties, the public and television stations need to make themselves accountable, Portune said, “to clean up our act.”

After the Nov. 7 election, Portune wants a meeting on the issue and is asking groups like the League of Women Voters, the television station managers and others to attend and discuss the idea.


What ratings would mean

Here’s what the ratings would mean
G – for positive and completely truthful ads;
PG – truthful but carries some attack or negativity;
PG-13 – truthful but primarily negative and offend despite ads’ truthfulness;
R – ad truthfulness is questioned;
X – only negative and false.

Here is Portune's letter.