TELEVISION - Feb. 21, 1991

Sharpening the Image: How can television present more accurate and positive depictions of “older adults”? To find some answers, gerontology researchers, screenwriters, representatives of the Writers Guild of America West, the Entertainment Industries Council and other organizations gathered at UCLA Wednesday to launch a 17-month project funded by the U.S. Administration on Aging. “Older adults,” it was noted, are often defined by the TV industry as people over 45, and UCLA and industry advisers called the group everything from TV’s “untouchables” to “the last stereotype to fall.” The study is also backed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the Screen Actors Guild of America and others.