Echo Fiction Content Ratings

G
A G-rated audio theatre production contains nothing in theme, language, sex, violence or other matters that, in the view of Echo Fiction, would offend parents whose younger children listen to the audio theatre production. The G rating is not a "certificate of approval," nor does it signify a "children's" motion picture. Some snippets of language may go beyond polite conversation but they are common everyday expressions. No stronger words are present in G-rated audio theatre productions. Depictions of violence are minimal. No sex scenes or drug use are present in the audio theatre production.

PG
A PG-rated audio theatre production should be investigated by parents before they let their younger children attend. The PG rating indicates, in the view of Echo Fiction, that parents may consider some material unsuitable for their children, and parents should make that decision.

The more mature themes in some PG-rated audio theatre productions may call for parental guidance. There may be some profanity and some depictions of violence or brief sexual situations. But these elements are not deemed so intense as to require that parents be strongly cautioned beyond the suggestion of parental guidance. There is no drug use content in a PG-rated audio theatre production.

PG-13
A PG-13 rating is a sterner warning by Echo Fiction to parents to determine whether their children under age 13 should listen to the audio theatre production, as some material might not be suited for them. A PG-13 audio theatre production may go beyond the PG rating in theme, violence, nudity, sensuality, language, adult activities or other elements, but does not reach the restricted R category. The theme of the audio theatre production by itself will not result in a rating greater than PG-13, although depictions of activities related to a mature theme may result in a restricted rating for the audio theatre production.

Any drug use will initially require at least a PG-13 rating. More than brief sexual situations will require at least a PG-13 rating, but such sexual situations in a PG-13 rated audio theatre production generally will not be sexually oriented. There may be dramatizations of violence in a PG-13 audio theatre production, but generally not both realistic and extreme or persistent violence. An audio theatre production's single use of one of the harsher sexually-derived words, though only as an expletive, initially requires at least a PG-13 rating. More than one such expletive requires an R rating, as must even one of those words used in a sexual context. Echo Fiction nevertheless may rate such a motion picture PG-13 if, based on a special vote by a two-thirds majority, the raters feel that most American parents would believe that a PG-13 rating is appropriate because of the context or manner in which the words are used or because the use of those words in the audio theatre production is inconspicuous.

MA
MA (Mature Audiences) audio theatre production, in the view of Echo Fiction, contains some adult material. An MA-rated audio theatre production may include adult themes, adult activity, hard language, intense or persistent violence, sexually-oriented activity, drug abuse or other elements, so that parents are counseled to take this rating very seriously. Parents are strongly urged to find out more about MA-rated audio theatre productions in determining their suitability for their children.