Kansas town objects to R-rated Redbox kiosks

By Danny King -- Video Business, 3/7/2008

MARCH 7 | A McDonald’s restaurant in Anthony, Kan., removed the R-rated movies from its Redbox kiosk after a local independent video store owner raised the issue during a Feb. 18 board of commissioners meeting, according to meeting minutes posted on the town’s Web site.

Anthony, a town of about 2,200 people 60 miles southwest of Wichita, is the second community known to have objected to the R-rated movies in Redbox kiosks, following a similar effort in Union City, Ind.

Video Buyers Group, which represents about 1,800 independent rental stores, is contacting city councils and independent retailers in some Kansas, Indiana, Colorado and Minnesota communities to pressure Redbox retail partners McDonald’s and Wal-Mart to take R-rated movies out of its kiosks.

“This is not a competition issue,” said VBG president Ted Engen, who also runs the 71-store Total Entertainment Center chain. “McDonald’s’ bread and butter is kids’ meals, and they have R-rated movies there, with no policing at all. We might as well put beer in soda machines.”

Engen said management at the Wal-Mart in Anthony also has been contacted about removing R-rated titles from its Redbox kiosk.

Wal-Mart and McDonald’s officials didn’t immediately return calls seeking comment.

Retailers aren’t breaking the law by renting R-rated titles to children younger than 17, as the film ratings are voluntarily guidelines, not laws. Most video stores, however, support and promote the voluntary film ratings system, with employees that personally check ages and/or obtain parental consent when renting titles to minors.

Redbox customers are asked to input their age into the machine before renting a title and using a credit card as payment.

“We feel the appropriate measures are in place to allow parents and families to make educated choices regarding age-appropriate entertainment options when using Redbox kiosks,” said Gary Lancina, the company’s VP of marketing, in a statement.

“The local McDonald’s owner operator respectfully complied with a request from his local city council to remove the R-rated titles, despite having received no complaints from his customers,” said Lancina.

Redbox, 95% owned by McDonald’s and Coinstar, tripled its kiosk count to 6,300 last year. It plans to add kiosks to 4,500 Wal-Mart and Walgreens stores by the end of next year.