[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 117 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9466-S9469]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        FAMILY HOUR PROGRAMMING

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, earlier this week, the President of the 
United States gathered the TV networks together to work out a much-
trumpeted agreement on quality TV programming for children. I certainly 
applaud the President's efforts, and I am pleased that the meeting has 
served to at least spotlight this important issue. But the sad fact 
remains that this new and improved agreement to bring quality 
programming to our children is really nothing more than a ratification 
of the status quo. In fact, two of the major networks announced they 
already met this agreement. Another said that it is just barely short 
of compliance now.
  So, essentially, the President has come out and said he approves of 
what the networks are already doing about quality programming; the 
status quo is OK.
  Mr. President, as the father of eight children, and now the 
grandfather of three, let me just say that I do not approve of what the 
networks are doing. In fact, I find that some of what you see on 
television during the so-called family hour, from 8 to 9 o'clock at 
night, is absolutely outrageous today. I do not approve of it. I can 
say with assurance that parents I have talked to are clearly frustrated 
with television programming today. The last thing we want to say to the 
networks is, ``Just keep on doing what you are doing.''
  Parents do not want a measure that has a lot of fanfare and no 
substance. They want to do something real. Personally, I would like to 
be able to sit down after dinner with my 13-year-old daughter, Alice, 
or my 9-year-old son, Mark, or my 4-year-old daughter, Anna, and watch 
a half an hour or an hour of TV without having to always be in some 
sort of high state of alert for things that might not be appropriate 
for any one of them to see.
  You know, Mr. President, it was not that many years ago that we did 
not have this problem. We could all watch TV with our children between 
8 and 9 o'clock at night without having to worry about them. While 
every show between 8 and 9 wasn't a great show, at least you could find 
one show between 8 and 9 o'clock at night that was appropriate for a 
child to watch with a parent.
  Mr. President, I think we should take advantage of the attention that 
the White House has focused on this issue, and I think we should use it 
to call for some measures that really would make a difference.
  Our distinguished colleague from Connecticut, Senator Lieberman, has 
recently proposed a resolution that I think would do a great deal to 
accomplish this goal. His resolution would call upon the networks, on a 
strictly voluntary basis, to restore the idea of family hour 
programming.
  That, Mr. President, would make a real difference in the lives of 
America's families. I would guess that, on this issue, my experience is 
not unique or unusual. Who among us--among all the parents in this 
country--has not been very worried about what their children might 
suddenly be exposed to on TV?
  Just a few years ago, during the family hour, you did not have to do 
that. I am not talking about just the 1950's or the 1960's; I am 
talking about as recently as less than a decade ago. I think many of us 
in politics do not fully realize how much and how fast TV has changed 
just in the last few years. That is why I think my colleagues will be 
interested in seeing a comparison of the TV Guide listings for the hour 
between 8 and 9 o'clock as they have changed over the years.

  I ask unanimous consent that this very interesting document be 
printed in the Record at the conclusion of my remarks, and I recommend 
it to the attention of my colleagues.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (See Exhibit 1.)
  Mr. DeWINE. This was put together by Dan Wewers, a young man who 
interned in my office. He researched the TV Guides going back to 1954 
and looked at a typical week. We take it every so many years, in 1954, 
in 1960, all the way up through July 14 through the 20th of 1996. 
People are not going to approve or like every program on here. They 
weren't all great shows. But the point is, I think there were very few 
times where you could not at least find one program between 8 and 9 
o'clock that was suitable to watch with your children.
  Mr. President, the networks recognize, at least in principle, that 
they have a responsibility to the public. As parents and citizens, we 
have both the right and the duty to tell the networks what we think 
they should do--the little changes they can make that we believe will 
make a positive difference in the lives of our children and our 
families.
  Scheduling 1 hour of programming in the early evening that is 
appropriate for parents to watch with their children would be a very 
big positive step, and it would be a great change from the status quo. 
That is why I support the Lieberman initiative, and I think my 
colleagues, if they look at the document I am submitting today, which I 
asked be printed in the Record, they will come to the same conclusion.
  I think the President should talk to Senator Lieberman about this 
idea. It is a good idea, and it would make a real difference.
  I yield the floor.

                               Exhibit 1

                        Family Hour Programming

                            (8:00-9:00 p.m.)


                           TV GUIDE LISTINGS

                     New York Metropolitan Area \1\

                         Major Network Stations

                        (CBS, NBC, ABC, and FOX)

       For the dates of:

     \1\ Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     APRIL 2-8, 1954

[[Page S9467]]

     APRIL 2-8, 1960
     APRIL 4-10, 1964
     APRIL 4-10, 1970
     APRIL 5-11, 1975
     APRIL 5-11, 1980
     APRIL 6-12, 1985
     APRIL 4-10, 1992
     JULY 14-20, 1996

                        Week of April 2-8, 1954


                                TV GUIDE

                       New York Metropolitan Area

     Friday, April 2, 1954
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Mama--Peggy Wood
     NBC  Dave Garroway--Variety
     ABC  Ozzie & Harriet--Comedy
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Topper--Comedy
     NBC  Life of Riley--Bendix
     ABC  Playhouse--Anita Colby
     Saturday, April 3, 1954
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Jackie Gleason--Comedy
     NBC  Spike Jones--Variety
     ABC  My Hero--Comedy
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Amateur Hour--Mack
     ABC  The Unexpected--Film
     Sunday, April 4, 1954
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Toast of the Town
     NBC  Comedy Hour--Variety
     ABC  The Mask--Drama
     Monday, April 5, 1954
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Burns & Allen--Comedy
     NBC  Name That Tune--Quiz
     ABC  Sky King--Kirby Grant
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Talent Scouts--Godfrey
     NBC  Concert--Barlow
     ABC  Movie--``World Without End''
     Tuesday, April 6, 1954
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Gene Autry--Western
     NBC  Milton Berle--Comedy
     ABC  The Mask--Drama
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Red Skelton--Comedy
     Wednesday, April 7, 1954
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Godfrey & Friends
     NBC  I Married Joan--Comedy
     ABC  Film Drama
     8:30 p.m.
     NBC  My Little Margie--Comedy
     ABC  Into the Night--Mystery
     Thursday, April 8, 1954
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Meet Mr. McNutley--Film
     NBC  Groucho Marx--Quiz
     ABC  Boston Blackie--Film
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Four Star Playhouse
     NBC  Justice
     ABC  Ray Bolger--Comedy
                                                                    ____


                        Week of April 2-8, 1960


                                TV GUIDE

                       New York Metropolitan Area

     Saturday, April 2, 1960
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Perry Mason--Mystery
     NBC  Bonanza--Western
     ABC  High Road--Gunther
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Wanted--Dead or Alive--Western
     NBC  Man and the Challenge
     ABC  Leave It to Beaver
     Sunday, April 3, 1960
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Playhouse 90--Drama
     NBC  Hollywood Sings--Variety
     ABC  Maverick--Western
     8:30 p.m.
     ABC  Lawman--Western
     Monday, April 4, 1960
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Texan--Western
     NBC  Riverboat--Adventure
     ABC  Cheyenne--Western
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Father Knows Best
     NBC  Wells Fargo--Western
     ABC  Bourbon Street Beat
     Tuesday, April 5, 1960
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Dennis O'Keefe
     NBC  Laramie--Western
     ABC  Bronco--Western
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Dobie Gillis--Comedy
     NBC  Startime--Drama
     ABC  Wyatt Earp--Western
     Wednesday, April 6, 1960
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Be Our Guest--Variety
     NBC  Wagon Train--Western
     ABC  Spring Night--Music
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Men Into Space--Adventure
     NBC  Price Is Right--Contest
     ABC  Ozzie and Harriet
     Thursday, April 7, 1960
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Betty Hutton--Comedy
     NBC  Bat Masterson--Western
     ABC  Donna Reed--Comedy
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Johnny Ringo--Western
     NBC  Producers' Choice--Drama
     ABC  Real McCoys--Comedy
     Friday, April 8, 1960
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Rawhide--Western
     NBC  Troubleshooters
     ABC  Walt Disney--Cartoon
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Hotel De Paree
     NBC  Art Carney--Drama Special
     ABC  Man From Blackhawk
                                                                    ____


                        Week of April 4-10, 1964


                                tv guide

                       New York Metropolitan Area

     Saturday, April 4, 1964
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Jackie Gleason
     NBC  Lieutenant--Drama
     ABC  Hootenanny--Songs
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Defenders--Drama
     NBC  Joey Bishop--Comedy
     ABC  Lawrence Welk
     Sunday, April 5, 1964
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Ed Sullivan--Variety
     NBC  Walt Disney's World
     ABC  Empire--Drama
     8:30 p.m.
     NBC  Grindl--Imogene Coca
     ABC  Arrest and Trial
     Monday, April 6, 1964
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  I've Got a Secret--Panel
     NBC  Movie--``The Virgin Queen''--Biography
     ABC  Outer Limits--Drama
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Lucille Ball--Comedy
     ABC  Wagon Train--Western
     Tuesday, April 7, 1964
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Red Skelton--Comedy
     NBC  Mr. Novak--Drama
     ABC  Combat!--Drama
     8:30 p.m.
     NBC  You Don't Say!--Kennedy
     ABC  McHale's Navy
     Wednesday, April 8, 1964
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  CBS Reports
     NBC  Virginian--Western
     ABC  Patty Duke--Variety
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Suspense--Mystery
     ABC  Farmer's Daughter
     Thursday, April 9, 1964
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Rawhide--Western
     NBC  Temple Houston--Western
     ABC  Donna Reed--Comedy
     8:30 p.m.
     NBC  Dr. Kildare--Drama
     ABC  My Three Sons
     Friday, April 10, 1964
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Great Adventure
     NBC  International Showcase
     ABC  Destry--Western
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Route 66--Drama
     NBC  Ernie Ford--Variety
     ABC  Burke's Law--Mystery

                        Week of April 4-10, 1970


                                tv guide

                       New York Metropolitan Area

     Saturday, April 4, 1970
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Jackie Gleason
     NBC  Andy Williams
     ABC  Newlywed Game
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  My Three Sons
     NBC  Adam-12
     ABC  Lawrence Welk
     Sunday, April 5, 1970
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Ed Sullivan
     NBC  World of Disney
     ABC  FBI
     8:30 p.m.
     NBC  Bill Cosby
     Monday, April 6, 1970
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Gunsmoke
     NBC  Laugh-In
     ABC  ABC News Special
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Here's Lucy
     ABC  Movie--``An Eye for an Eye''--Western
     Tuesday, April 7, 1970
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Lancer
     NBC  NBC White Paper
     ABC  Mod Squad
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Red Skelton
     NBC  Julia
     ABC  Comedy Special
     Wednesday, April 8, 1970
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Hee Haw--Variety
     NBC  Virginian
     ABC  Nanny
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Beverly Hillbillies
     ABC  Room 222
     Thursday, April 9, 1970
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Jim Nabors
     NBC  Daniel Boone
     ABC  That Girl
     8:30 p.m.
     NBC  Ironside
     ABC  Bewitched
     Friday, April 10, 1970
     8:00 p.m.

[[Page S9468]]

     CBS  Adventure
     NBC  High Chaparral
     ABC  Tales From Muppetland (Regularly, the Brady Bunch)
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Hogan's Heroes
     NBC  Name of the Game
     ABC  Ghost/Mrs. Muir
                                                                    ____


                        Week of April 5-11, 1975


                                tv guide

                       New York Metropolitan Area

     Saturday, April 5, 1975
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  All in the Family
     NBC  Emergency!
     ABC  Kung Fu
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  The Jeffersons
     Sunday, April 6, 1975
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Cher--Variety
     NBC  World of Disney
     ABC  Jacques Cousteau--Documentary
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Kojak--Crime Drama
     NBC  McCloud
     ABC  Movie--``Man in the Wilderness''--Adventure
     Monday, April 7, 1975
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Gunsmoke
     NBC  Carl Sandburg's Lincoln
     ABC  Rookies
     Tuesday, April 8, 1975
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Good Times--Comedy
     NBC  Adam-12
     ABC  Happy Days--Comedy
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  M*A*S*H
     NBC  Cavalcade of Champions Awards
     ABC  Movie--``Guess Who's Sleeping in My Bed?''
     Wednesday, April 9, 1975
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Tony Orlando and Dawn--Variety
     NBC  Little House on the Prairie--Drama
     ABC  That's My Mama--Comedy
     8:30 p.m.
     ABC  Movie--``The Story of Pretty Boy Floyd''--Drama
     Thursday, April 10, 1975
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  The Waltons
     NBC  Movie--``Conspiracy of Terror''--Comedy-Drama
     ABC  Barney Miller--Comedy
     8:30 p.m.
     ABC  Karen--Comedy
     Friday, April 11, 1975
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Comedy Special--``Rosenthal and Jones''
     NBC  Sanford and Son
     ABC  Night Stalker--Drama
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  We'll Get By
     NBC  Chico and the Man--Comedy
                                                                    ____


                        Week of April 5-11,1980


                                tv guide

       New York Metropolitan Area
     Saturday, April 5, 1980
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Tim Conway--Variety
     NBC  B.J. and the Bear
     ABC  Easter Bunny is Comin to Town--Cartoon
     Sunday, April 6, 1980
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Archie Bunker's Place
     NBC  Chips--Crime Drama
     ABC  Movie--``The Ten Commandments''--Biography
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  One Day at a Time
     Monday, April 7, 1980
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS   WKRP in Cinicinnati
     NBC  Little House on the Prairie
     ABC  That's Incredible
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Stockard Channing
     Tuesday, April 8, 1980
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  White Shadow
     NBC  Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo
     ABC  Happy Days
     8:30 p.m.
     ABC  Laverne & Shirley
     Wednesday, April 9, 1980
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Movie--``A Boy Named Charlie Brown''--Cartoon
     NBC  Real People
     ABC  Eight is Enough
     Thursday, April 10, 1980
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Palmerstown, U.S.A--Drama
     NBC  Buck Rogers in the 25th Century--Sci Fi
     ABC  Mork & Mindy
     8:30 p.m.
     ABC  Benson--Comedy
     Friday, April 11, 1980
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Incredible Hulk
     NBC  Here's Boomer--Adventure
     ABC  When the Whistle Blows--Comedy
     8:30 p.m.
     NBC  The Facts of Life.
                                                                    ____


                        Week of April 6-12, 1985


                                tv guide

                       New York Metropolitan Area

     Saturday, April 6, 1985
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Daffy Duck--Cartoon
     NBC  Diff'rent Strokes
     ABC  T.J. Hooker--Crime Drama
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Bugs Bunny--Cartoon
     NBC  Gimme a Break!
     Sunday, April 7, 1985
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Murder, She Wrote--Mystery
     NBC  Movie--``Florence Nightengale''--Drama
     ABC  Movie--``Superman II''--Fantasy
     Monday, April 8, 1985
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Scarecrow and Mrs. King
     NBC  TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes
     ABC  Hardcastle and McCormick--Crime Drama
     Tuesday, April 9, 1985
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Lucie Arnaz--Comedy
     NBC  A-Team
     ABC  Three's a Crowd
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Movie--``Coal Miner's Daughter''--Biography
     ABC  Foul-ups, Bleeps & Blunders
     Wednesday, April 10, 1985
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Double Dare--Crime Drama
     NBC  Highway to Heaven--Drama
     ABC  Fall Guy
     Thursday, April 11, 1985
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Magnum, P.I.--Crime Drama
     NBC  Cosby Show
     ABC  Wildside--Western
     8:30 p.m.
     NBC  Family Ties
     Friday, April 12, 1985
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Detective in the House--Mystery
     NBC  Knight Rider
     ABC  Webster
     8:30 p.m.
     ABC  Mr. Belvedere--Comedy
                                                                    ____


                        Week of April 4-10, 1992


                                TV Guide

                       New York Metropolitan Area

     Saturday, April 4, 1992
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  NCAA Basketball
     NBC  Golden Girls
     FOX  Cops
     ABC  Who's the Boss?
     8:30 p.m.
     NBC  Powers That Be
     FOX  Cops
     ABC  Billy--Comedy
     Sunday, April 5, 1992
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Murder, She Wrote
     NBC  Mann & Machine--Crime Drama
     FOX  ROC--Comedy
     ABC  Funniest Home Videos
     8:30 p.m.
     FOX  In Living Color
     ABC  America's Funniest People
     Monday, April 6, 1992
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Evening Shade
     NBC  Fresh Prince
     FOX  Movie--``Night of the Comet''--Science Fiction
     ABC  FBI: The Untold Stories
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Major Dad
     NBC  Blossom
     ABC  American Detective
     Tuesday, April 7, 1992
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Rescue 911
     NBC  In the Heat of the Night--Crime Drama
     FOX  Movie--``Tough Enough''--Drama
     ABC  Full House
     8:30 p.m.
     ABC  Home Improvement
     Wednesday, April 8, 1992
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Royal Family
     NBC  Unsolved Mysteries
     FOX  Movie--``All the Right Moves''--Drama
     ABC  Wonder Years
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Davis Rules
     ABC  Doogie Howser
     Thursday, April 9, 1992
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Top Cops
     NBC  Cosby Show
     FOX  Simpsons
     ABC  Columbo
     8:30 p.m.
     NBC  Different World
     FOX  Drexell's Class
     Friday, April 10, 1992
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Tequila and Bonetti--Crime Drama
     NBC  Matlock
     FOX  America's Most Wanted
     ABC  Family Matters
     8:30 p.m.
     ABC  Step by Step
                                                                    ____


[[Page S9469]]

                        Week of July 14-20, 1996


                                tv guide

                   Washington, DC. Metropolitan Area

     Sunday, July 14, 1996
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Murder, She Wrote
     NBC  Mad About You
     FOX  Simpsons
     ABC  Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
     8:30 p.m.
     NBC  Movie: ``Tequila Sunrise''--Drama
     FOX  Married . . . With Children
     Monday, July 15, 1996
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Nanny
     NBC  Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
     FOX  Movie: ``So I Married An Axe Murderer''--Comedy
     ABC  Marshal
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Almost Perfect
     NBC  Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
     Tuesday, July 16, 1996
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  The Client
     NBC  3rd Rock From the Sun
     FOX  Movie: ``Alien Nation: Dark Horizon''--Sci Fi
     ABC  Roseanne
     8:30 p.m.
     NBC  Newsradio
     ABC  Drew Carey
     Wednesday, July 17, 1996
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Dave's World
     NBC  Dateline
     FOX  Beverly Hills, 90210
     ABC  Ellen
     8:30 p.m.
     CBS  Can't Hurry Love
     ABC  Faculty
     Thursday, July 18, 1996
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Wynonna: Revelations--Special
     NBC  Friends
     FOX  Martin
     ABC  High Incident
     8:30 p.m.
     NBC  Mad About You
     FOX  Living Single
     Friday, July 19, 1996
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Movie: ``National Lampoon's Vacation''--Comedy
     NBC  Summer Olympic Games: Opening Ceremony
     FOX  Sliders
     ABC  Family Matters
     8:30 p.m.
     ABC  Boy Meets World
     Saturday, July 20, 1996
     8:00 p.m.
     CBS  Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
     NBC  Summer Olympic Games
     FOX  Cops
     ABC  Movie: ``Project ALF''--Comedy
     8:30 p.m.
     FOX  Cops
  Mr. WYDEN addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon.

                          ____________________