Parents Television Council Pushes White House to Vet Violent Content on Broadcast Networks

The White House has scheduled a meeting with the video game industry's Entertainment Software Association March 8 to talk about video game and real world violence, but the Parents Television Council wants to expand the conversation to include broadcast network TV.  “As the White House and other leaders work to confront societal gun violence, we hope that they will demand meaningful change from the entertainment industry, which presents dress rehearsals for gun violence on TV, in the movies, and in violent video games,” said PTC President Tim Winter.

PTC pointed to its research showing that the majority of programming in the 2017 November sweeps period, which helps determine ad rates going forward, contained violence, and more than a third guns. “Every single broadcast TV network rate shows with graphic violence and gun violence as appropriate for children – clear evidence that the entertainment industry contributes to marketing a culture of violence to children," said Winter.