[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 3 (Friday, January 6, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S573]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


            BRITAIN JOINS AMERICANS IN ATTACKING TV VIOLENCE

 Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, we are slowly but solidly making 
progress to reduce television entertainment violence in our country.
  We still have a long way to go, but I came across an Associated Press 
item reporting that even in Great Britain, which has much stricter 
standards on television violence than we do, there is concern about 
television violence.
  I thought my colleagues might be interested in the Associated Press 
story about violence on British television and some of the things that 
are happening there.
  I ask that the Associated Press article be printed in the Record at 
this point.
  The article follows:

            Britain Joins Americans in Attacking TV Violence

       London.--British television concerned over the soaring 
     number of violent crimes in Britain, is moving to cut down on 
     the amount of violence and brutality shown on TV screens 
     here.
       Both the British Broadcasting Corp. and the Independent 
     Television Commission announced changes last week.
       The ITC told commercial TV companies to cut the amount of 
     violence they screen and said they will be monitored to 
     ensure they comply.
       Among competitor BBC's revised guidelines for programmers:
       Viewers should be given more information about what 
     programs contain before screening, so they can switch off if 
     they wish.
       Programmers should have sharper awareness of portrayals of 
     sexual violence and violence against women.
       U.S. programmers face a similar battle. The four U.S. 
     broadcast networks, hoping to head off government 
     intervention, have agreed to air parental warnings before 
     certain shows.
       The BBC included no enforcement provisions in its 
     guidelines. But as a private network, financed by license 
     fees paid by viewers, it could simply edit out offending 
     segments or censor entire programs.
       Companies who ignore the ITC guidelines can be reprimanded 
     or fined. The commission, established by Act of Parliament, 
     regulates Britain's Independent Television network.
       David Glencross, chief executive of the ITC said in 
     announcing ITC guidelines Thursday. ``What we are seeing is a 
     public revulsion against violence in society which is feeding 
     through to a
      desire for greater sensitivity by TV programmakers and the 
     makers of films and videos.''
       ITC guidelines tell program-makers to consider carefully in 
     each case whether violent scenes are justified.
       Programmers should not look at violent scenes in isolation 
     but consider the accumulation of such scenes on viewers.
       Program-makers should avoid programming which ``appears to 
     promote violence as a solution to problems or difficulties.''
       In the area of news, the guidelines note that ``violent 
     images are becoming increasingly available to news editors'' 
     and said TV news bulletins should take account of the time 
     they are to be shown.
       The ITC guidelines say no proof exists that violence on TV 
     encourages violent crime in real life but state:
       ``Caution is required in the television portrayal of 
     violence, given concern about the level of violence in 
     society and the possibility of behavior or attitudes being 
     influenced by what is shown on television. Broadcasters 
     should therefore be especially vigilant about the amount of 
     violence in their programs.''
       Will Wyatt, managing director of BBC network TV, said in 
     announcing the BBC guidelines, ``We must ensure that where 
     violent scenes--in fictional programs or in news coverage--
     are felt to be editorially necessary, they are included only 
     after careful and detailed consideration.
       ``Although we cannot control what happens in the home, we 
     must ensure that before material is transmitted it is tested 
     for suitability for the time and place of its transmission--
     or whether it should be transmitted at all.''
     

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