[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 38 (Tuesday, April 12, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 12, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                        REDUCING VIOLENCE ON TV

                                 ______


                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 12, 1994

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, the Alameda County Board of Education and the 
Superintendent of Schools recently adopted the following resolution 
endorsing an entertainment media violence code to limit gratuitous 
violence and glamorization of violent lifestyles dramatized on 
television. The board and superintendent cite the findings of numerous 
studies, which show that children are vulnerable to and negatively 
affected by violence they see on television, as reason for passing the 
resolution.
  The following is a copy of the resolution. I would like to commend 
the Alameda County Board of Education and the Superintendent of Schools 
for their work on this important matter. I am hopeful that government--
both Federal and local--can work with the entertainment industry to 
reduce the amount of violence to which our children are exposed.

Alameda County Board of Education and Alameda County Superintendent of 
                   Schools--Joint Resolution No. 1304

       Whereas, concern about the ``epidemic of violence'' from 
     which our nation, our state, and our schools suffer, has been 
     a growing concern in our community; and
       Whereas, the violence that actually occurs in our 
     communities and gratuitous violence dramatized in the media 
     negatively affects our children's emotional development and 
     readiness to learn; and
       Whereas, although there is no single cause for the 
     devaluation of human life, personal safety, and respect for 
     property that we are witnessing, there is a need to state 
     that increasing violence is not acceptable; and
       Whereas, numerous studies tell us that all people, 
     especially children and teenagers, are affected by the 
     gratuitous violence they see depicted on television and 
     videos and become more likely to act violently themselves or 
     become desensitized to the pain inflicted on victims; 
     therefore be it
       Resolved That the Alameda County Board of Education and the 
     Alameda County Superinendent of Schools endorse the proposal 
     for broadcasters' to limit violence on television set forth 
     in the Citizens Task Force on TV Violence.
       Passed and Adopted this 22nd day of February 1994.
                                  ____


       Recommendations by the Citizens Task Force on TV Violence

       Entertainment Media Violence Code. An Entertainment Media 
     Violence Code, largely voluntary in nature, should be adopted 
     and should be based upon the code adopted by the Canadian 
     Radio and Telecommunications Commission and the Canadian 
     Association of Broadcasters, provided that the code would 
     include a ``safe harbor'' rule--to the effect that gratuitous 
     dramatized violence not be programmed during the hours of 6 
     a.m. to 10 p.m.--which could be enforced through appropriate 
     action by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
       Parent Empowerment. Parents should have the ability to 
     exercise greater control over the viewing of violent programs 
     by children through installation of mechanical/electronic 
     devices to block out programming that is identified as 
     violent, broadcast of viewer warnings, and development and 
     implementation of a violence rating system.
       FCC Hearings. The FCC should hold hearings on possible 
     voluntary and regulatory solutions to television violence.
       Children's Television Act. The federal Children's 
     Television Act should be strengthened and enforced to 
     increase beneficial programming for children and to educate 
     the public about the effects of violence generally, and media 
     violence in particular.
       Violent Television Programs in Prisons. The viewing of 
     violent television programs in prisons should be ended 
     immediately.
       White House Conference on Violence. A White House 
     Conference on Violence should be called to focus on the 
     causes of the nation's epidemic of violence, including media 
     violence, with the representatives of both the entertainment 
     industry and 100 of the nation's leading advertisers being 
     invited.
       Television Industry Discussions. Television industry 
     discussions to identify, control, and reduce violent 
     programming should be continued through an extension of the 
     current antitrust exemption set forth in the Television 
     Program Improvement Act.

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