[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 26 (Tuesday, March 4, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E365-E366]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




THE INTRODUCTION OF THE CHILDREN'S PROTECTION FROM VIOLENT PROGRAMMING 
                                  ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PETER A. DeFAZIO

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 4, 1997

  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join millions of American 
parents, teachers, doctors, and children's advocates in endorsing a 
content-based rating system for television viewing among children. For 
too long Congress and the American people have left programming content 
decisions to motion picture and broadcasting industry executives. 
Parents have expressed frustration with the constant barrage of 
violence, sex, and adult language on television. I am pleased to join 
Representatives Markey, Burton, Spratt, Moran, and others to introduce 
a bill that gives parents the ability to determine what type of 
programming content is appropriate for their children to watch.
  Parents are tired of having Hollywood tell them what is best for 
their children. Congress gave the broadcasting industry a golden 
opportunity to meet this challenge in the Telecommunications Act of 
1996. Instead of addressing these longstanding concerns, the industry 
proposed an age-based rating system that is still inadequate because it 
does not inform parents of objectionable programming content. 
Furthermore, the age-based proposal will continue to prevent parents 
from making informed choices about their children's viewing behavior. 
The rapid growth of network and cable programming has been a mixed 
blessing for parents. They are left with the daunting task of learning 
the content of numerous shows and channels. The age-based rating system 
will not help make this task any easier.
  I have heard from parents and child advocates all across Oregon who 
say that they want to know what to expect from a particular television 
show. They also want to know if the show contains explicit sex, adult 
language, and excessive violence. Most importantly, they want to make 
their own decisions about what their own children watch, not leaving 
the decisions up to television executives. A parent does not want to be 
told that their child is old enough to watch a ``TV-PG'' rated show. 
The majority of parents are smart enough to know that this category is 
quite broad, covering a wide range of shows.
  According to a nationwide survey conducted by the National Parent 
Teachers Association [PTA], over 80 percent of parents stated that they 
want separate ratings for sex, violence, and language content to help 
parents decide what shows their children can and cannot watch. In fact, 
a large number of organizations have criticized the age-based rating 
system including the National PTA, the American Medical Association 
[AMA], the American Academy

[[Page E366]]

of Pediatrics, the Children's Defense Fund [CDF], Family Research 
Council, and many others. I am confident that this bill will aid 
parents with these decisions and encourage the broadcasting industry to 
adopt a content-specific rating system.
  In an attempt to require broadcasters and manufacturers to help 
parents block shows they considered too objectionable, Congress passed 
the V-chip law to the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Until this law 
takes effect in 1998, this bill is the necessary next step in 
addressing the concerns of parents in the information age.

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