Television Violence on the Balance

report shows that some progress has already begun in several

areas. Attention needs to be focused on how and why some

programming has begun to move in the right direction and why

the rest has not. "What this issue needs, more than anything else, is cool heads on all sides of the problem: the network executives, the creative community, the government, researchers and advocacy groups. All sides need to worry less about how each development affects only them and instead look at the needs of everyone.

In the broadcast world, the Big Four television networks, i.e. ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, have begun to get the public message about television violence. The programming they completely control, series and television movies, has, for the most part shown some promising signs and now reflects, on the whole, relatively few issues of concern as compared to other network television formats. I contend that this is a result of consumer pressure, rather than governmental regulation. The violence

contained in the most disturbing television series is minor in

comparison to that contained in theatrical films shown on network television. And that violence, edited as it

. . .
" (UCLA 17)

Network affiliates must put pressure on the networks. Include the network's development executives in these discussions. 2888 3)

After decades probing the issue in one congressional

committee after another, it is time to acknowledge, emphatically, that the simple choice is between censorship and responsible voluntary conduct. The committee chairman, Senator Earnest Hollings (D-S. Even after coming under intense congressional pressure in the mid-1970s to study and possibly step into this policy quagmire, the Commission pointedly rejected any direct governmental role in overseeing television violence: "As a practical matter, it would be difficult to

construct rules which would take into account all of the subjective considerations involved in making such judgments.

Children's Television Act of 1990, Pub. Whether or not there ultimately is a V-Chip, look at devices such as The

Telecommander or TV Guardian that not only controls which programs your children watch, but how much television and at what times.

Ultimately, however, it was the regulatory framework

established by the Communications Act of 1934 and a belief and trust in the strong private broadcasting system that has been allowed to evolve within that framework that proved most crucial. Teachers can be more media literate and include these concepts in their teaching.

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Approximate Word count = 2740
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)

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