Media Mobilize to Block TV Violence Law

MEDIA MOBILIZE TO BLOCK TV VIOLENCE LAW
[SOURCE: tvnewsday, AUTHOR: Kim McAvoy]
The National Association of Broadcasters along with the major broadcast networks, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association and the Motion Picture Association of America have formed an ad hoc coalition to oppose expected legislation on regulation of violent TV programming and it has already made its first move. According to those involved in the effort, the coalition has hired one of the nation’s leading constitutional scholars, Harvard Law School Professor Laurence Tribe. Not only can Tribe make the First Amendment case against regulating TV violence, but as a respected liberal Democrat he can also appeal politically to the liberal Democrats who are driving the legislation. Tribe is expected to testify at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on TV violence. No date has been announced for the hearing, but June 26 is still a possibility.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/05/22/daily.13/

FCC TV
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Editorial staff]
[Commentary] Late last month, the Federal Communications Commission issued a report advocating more government regulation of TV programming. The agency said "exposure to violent programming can be harmful to children" and that the V-chip screening device now required in all U.S.-made televisions is "not effective." Unlike three decades ago, content-screening devices abound in today's media marketplace. Some 86% of U.S. households subscribe to cable or satellite TV, and both services provide conscientious parents with multiple filtering tools. Cable set-top boxes allow homes to block unwanted programs by channel, rating and title. On the satellite side, DirecTV offers a "Locks & Limits" feature, and the Dish Network has "Adult Guard." Even if, as the report found, most households don't take advantage of the V-chip, that hardly translates into a public cry for in loco parentis federal intervention. After all, 67% of households have no children under 18 in residence, and those that do often opt to monitor personally what their children watch rather than rely on technology. The report cites studies showing that parents in the U.S. are deeply concerned about violence on TV. That may be true, but it's difficult to square with another of the report's findings, which is that nearly 70% of children have a TV in their bedroom. Either mom and dad aren't as concerned about the issue as policy makers and special-interest groups would like, or they have things in better perspective. The FCC's inclusion of a la carte recommendations is especially troubling, and not merely because it would constitute an unwarranted attempt by the government to dictate a private sector business model. Another problem is that a la carte pricing bears little relationship to the issue of violent television programming.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117988446509011614.html?mod=todays_us_op...
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