Survey shows Americans want rating system and screening options for on-line material CINCINNATI, OH - Even as the Supreme Court begins hearing arguments on the 1996 Communications Act, 72 percent of Americans with home computers believe a uniform standard of content restrictions and protections should be adopted for the Internet, according to a new national opinion survey. The survey, conducted for the Cincinnati-based communications firm Northlich Stolley LaWarre (NSL), also found overwhelming support for options that monitored and screened content found in on-line services, home pages, Web sites and on-line discussion groups. Nearly 3 in 4 respondents said such monitoring should be available. The issue was particularly relevant for those considering the access children have to on-line content that may be considered objectionable. Of those surveyed, 98 percent agree that parents should be able to screen and control what on-line information is available to their children. "Households with children are really what this is all about," said Carole Walters, director, new media and marketing services for NSL. "It makes sense that parents want some control over the material their children have access to. The problem is that no guidelines exist." In addition, 9 in 10 persons surveyed believe that child-oriented advertising should be screened. To date, just a few on-line services, including America Online and CompuServe, are equipped with parental monitoring systems that allow parents to limit access to certain features. But on the wide-open Internet, no such system is in place. "There has been growing concern regarding television and on-line content," said Ms. Walters. "These findings confirm what we have predicted -- people want a warning to help them screen subject matter they consider to be offensive." The study was based on a mail survey completed last month to more than 2,500 U.S. households to obtain 1,047 responses. Survey results reported here include 957 households which have or plan to purchase a home computer in the next year. Households with children represented 45 percent of the total sample. In addition to questions regarding on-line rating systems, respondents were asked about usage of home PCs and on-line services in their household. Survey data was balanced to current U.S. Household Census data. Northlich Stolley LaWarre, a Midwest communications firm, conducts on-line research, measuring teenagers' perspectives through "Loopy," a World Wide Web site. The survey was conducted for NSL by Techtel Corporation, a San Francisco market research firm specializing in tracking consumer and business use of technology.