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President A child who loved pushing buttons, it was no surprise when Rod Gustafson began his broadcast career at the age of 15. Since then, he has filled a variety of positions in television, radio, independent film and print media production, and continues to work as a freelance journalist covering news stories for the CTV Television Network in his remore corner of Southeastern Alberta. But it wasn't until reading a Readers Digest excerpt from Michael Medved's book Hollywood vs. America that he happened upon a unique idea. Medved, a nationally syndicated U.S. critic and talk show host, brought to light the many ways in which media was having a negative influence on our society. Having had similar feelings over the previous few years, Rod desired to do something positive to help parents enjoy entertainment and be able to find items that would meet their family's standards. His resolve became Parent Previews, one of the first movie review columns to analyze the content of movies thereby helping parents know what a film contains before they show it to their children. In 1993, when a small British Columbia newspaper signed up, the fledgling column became official. Parent Previews debuted on the internet in January 2000. When not watching, writing, and webbing, Rod takes his over 25 years of media expertise into classrooms, teachers conferences, and community and church groups where he provides informative sessions on everything from advertising to movie ratings. Rod's sensitivity to family concerns comes from home, where he and his wife are actively involved in rearing two daughters, two sons, and two guinea pigs. |