[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 118 (Monday, September 13, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H8123-H8125]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY FRIENDLY TELEVISION 
                              PROGRAMMING

  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 184) expressing the sense of 
Congress regarding the importance of ``family friendly'' programming on 
television.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 184

       Whereas American children and adolescents spend between 22 
     and 28 hours per week viewing television;
       Whereas American homes have an average of 2.75 television 
     sets, and 87 percent of homes with children have more than 
     one television set;
       Whereas there is a need to increase the availability 
     programs suitable for the entire family during prime time 
     viewing hours;
       Whereas surveys of television content demonstrate that many 
     programs contain substantial sexual or violent content;
       Whereas although parents are ultimately responsible for 
     appropriately supervising their children's television 
     viewing, it is also important to provide positive, ``family 
     friendly'' programming that is suitable for parents and 
     children to watch together;
       Whereas efforts should be made by television networks, 
     studios, and the production community to produce more quality 
     family friendly programs and to air them during times when 
     parents and children are likely to be viewing together;
       Whereas members of the Family Friendly Programming Forum 
     are concerned about the availability of family friendly 
     television programs during prime time viewing hours; and
       Whereas Congress encourages activities by the Forum and 
     other entities designed to promote family friendly 
     programming, including--
         (1) participating in meetings with leadership of major 
     television networks, studios, and production companies to 
     express concerns;
         (2) expressing the importance of family friendly 
     programming at industry conferences, meetings, and forums;
         (3) honoring outstanding family friendly television 
     programs with a new tribute, the Family Program Awards, to be 
     held annually in Los Angeles, California;
         (4) establishing a development fund to finance family 
     friendly scripts; and
         (5) underwriting scholarships at television studies 
     departments at institutions of higher education to encourage 
     student interest in family friendly programming: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) recognizes and honors the efforts of the Family 
     Friendly Programming Forum and other entities supporting 
     family friendly programming;
       (2) supports efforts to encourage television networks, 
     studios, and the production community to produce more quality 
     family friendly programs;
       (3) supports the proposed Family Friendly Programming 
     Awards, development fund, and scholarships, all of which are 
     designed to encourage, recognize, and celebrate creative 
     excellence in, and commitment to, family friendly 
     programming; and
       (4) encourages the media and American advertisers to 
     further a family friendly television environment within which 
     appropriate advertisements can accompany the programming.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Upton) and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton).


                             General Leave

  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on this legislation and insert extraneous material in the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the resolution before us today is also a statement on 
behalf of the Members of this body that we expect better television 
programming than perhaps what is being offered today to our children 
and our families to survive the ratings battle. The broadcast networks 
do spend a considerable amount of time trying to develop sound, family-
friendly programming that consumers will watch. Unfortunately, all too 
often this type of

[[Page H8124]]

 programming does not receive the high ratings necessary to keep those 
series on the air. This is unfortunate, but the networks should not 
give up hope or stop trying to improve the quality of their TV 
offerings.
  I am pleased that the House today has an opportunity to consider H. 
Con. Res. 184. I am hopeful that the other body will soon offer a 
companion resolution. I would also like to acknowledge the leadership 
of the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman) for bringing this issue to the 
attention of the Committee on Commerce. I am also hopeful that the 
Committee on Commerce members will have an opportunity to consider the 
impact of media outlets on the culture of the Nation in the near 
future.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Ohio (Mr. Portman).
  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for 
yielding and for all the effort he has put into this and for coming to 
the floor today to support it. I would also like to thank the gentleman 
from Virginia (Mr. Bliley), the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell) 
and the Committee on Commerce staff for allowing us to have this 
resolution come to the floor today in an expedited manner.
  Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to join with the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) to introduce House Concurrent Resolution 
184. The resolution is pretty straightforward. It recognizes the 
importance, as the gentleman from Michigan has said, of family-friendly 
television programming and the specific contributions of a new group 
called the Family Friendly Programming Forum and the efforts they are 
undertaking to make this goal a reality.
  Recent events have intensified a national debate on child development 
and particularly the influence of popular culture on our children. We 
cannot overlook the important role that television plays in shaping the 
attitudes and the outlook of our Nation's young people. Studies show 
that on average children will watch between 22 and 28 hours of 
television every week which in many cases, Mr. Speaker, is about the 
same amount of time they spend in school.
  And television is not only a powerful influence, unfortunately it is 
too often a negative one. Let us be clear. Parents should always have 
the final responsibility for regulating their children's viewing 
habits. But the simple fact remains that the number of family-friendly 
programs available, particularly during prime time, has been declining. 
Parents are looking for more programs that are appropriate for them to 
watch together with their children.
  This resolution specifically supports the work of the Forum, an 
organization of 33 of the Nation's very largest advertisers who have 
recognized this unmet need in the marketplace.
  The argument is sometimes made that family-friendly programs do not 
draw big ratings, that advertisers will not support them and that, 
therefore, networks cannot afford to carry them. The work of the Family 
Friendly Programming Forum is changing this perception. The major 
advertisers who are members of the Forum are taking specific steps, 
including a new annual awards program that recognizes excellence in 
family-friendly programming, the first of which took place in Beverly 
Hills, California just last week. The Forum is also making a financial 
commitment. It has established a development fund to finance family-
friendly scripts. It is underwriting university scholarships to 
encourage students' interest in writing family-friendly programming. 
The Forum is also conducting a series of public awareness events, 
campaigns around the country, to encourage families to seek out new 
options during prime time.
  Mr. Speaker, family-friendly does not mean dull. Good programming 
over the years, such as the 1999 Family Friendly Programming Forum 
Lifetime Achievement award winner ``The Cosby Show'' and the long-
running ``Home Improvement'' demonstrates that television programming 
can be both appropriate and enjoyable for the entire family and very 
successful. There is a market for good programming of this type. 
Frankly, the statement made by the advertising community through this 
forum about their interest in this kind of programming is to me very 
significant.
  Mr. Speaker, as a father of three, I am all too well aware of the 
powerful influence that television programming can have on our kids and 
the need for more programming we can enjoy as a family. While Congress 
cannot and should not tell the television networks what programming to 
air, we can and should support efforts like the Forum's constructive, 
free market approach to promoting family-friendly television. That is 
what this resolution is all about. By passing it at the beginning of 
the school year as we are doing, we as a Congress are making an 
important statement about the need for more suitable programming on our 
Nation's airwaves for all Americans.
  I commend the Family Friendly Programming Forum and the goals they 
are advancing. I urge adoption of House Concurrent Resolution 184.
  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MARKEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I begin by complimenting, praising the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Portman), who is the principal author of this resolution. I thank him 
for asking me to be his coauthor. This is without question an important 
statement for the Congress to make. After all, we do spend a 
considerable amount of time here in Congress criticizing the impact 
which the media have upon the culture of our country, especially as it 
impacts the children in our society, so I think that as the Family 
Friendly Programming Forum begins a process of trying to encourage 
positive, family-friendly television, that we should praise them.
  This resolution does four things: First, it recognizes and it honors 
the efforts of the Family Friendly Programming Forum and other entities 
supporting family-friendly programming. Secondly, it supports efforts 
to encourage television networks, studios and production communities to 
produce more quality family-friendly programs. Third, it supports the 
proposed Family Friendly Programming Awards, development fund, and 
scholarships, all of which are designed to encourage, recognize and 
celebrate creative excellence in, and commitment to, family-friendly 
programming. And, fourth, it encourages the media and American 
advertisers to further a family-friendly television environment within 
which an appropriate advertisement campaign can accompany the 
appropriate programming.
  Now, this Family Friendly Programming Forum is a project of the 
National Association of Advertisers, which includes some of our 
Nation's largest companies: General Motors, Procter & Gamble, Wendy's, 
Coca-Cola, Bell Atlantic, Gillette and others. These companies are the 
life's blood of free, over-the-air television, because, of course, 
without advertising from these large companies, there can be no 
television because there would be no advertising that the networks 
would use in order to fund the production of programs that are run on 
every single community in our country. These network ads are critically 
important to the cable industry and to the satellite industry as well, 
and as a result they have tremendous leverage over the television 
industry in general, whether it be broadcast, cable or satellite. And 
so we should all applaud this effort.
  The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman) has, I think, done an enormous 
favor to each of us in bringing this resolution out because it will 
give us a chance to go on record in support of the kinds of initiatives 
that we would like to see large American corporations undertake to use 
their leverage in order to stem the trend towards more sex, more 
violence, lowering of standards, increasing the tsunami of words and 
images that assault the minds of young children in our country.
  Now, this is a huge breakthrough. Back in 1993, I attempted to have a 
hearing on this issue, inviting the largest advertisers to come to 
Congress to discuss it. At the time, only AT&T was willing to come 
forward to discuss a strategy by which these largest corporations would 
advance this kind of a cause. So it is heartening indeed to see this 
broad coalition today come together. I think that the more that we come 
to realize that these advertisers have this clout as the broadcasters 
attempt to attract large audiences in influencing the kind of 
programming that is played on the air, that we are

[[Page H8125]]

going to have the kind of influence that we would like to see, and, as 
the gentleman from Ohio said, private sector initiated, advertisers 
pressuring, encouraging broadcasters to do the right thing, because 
they, that is, those advertisers, want to be associated with the right 
thing, with that kind of programming.

                              {time}  1545

  As the Family Friendly Forum states in their mission statement: we 
support a wide range of programming options, and we will continue to 
advertise on shows that appeal to different target audiences, but we 
want to ensure the existence of a family-friendly television 
environment, particularly in the early evening time period.
  And most importantly, they are establishing a development fund to 
finance TV scripts, underwriting scholarships for students interested 
in exploring family-friendly programming, and granting awards for 
excellence in this area. They held their first awards ceremony just 
last Thursday, as the gentleman from Ohio pointed out. It is something 
that should be applauded and encouraged.
  The WB Network has already taken up the challenge. In August, WB CEO 
Jamie Kellner and Andrea Alstrup, vice president of advertising for 
Johnson & Johnson, on behalf of the Forum agreed to identify writers to 
produce new scripts that will entertain and engage family audiences.
  As my colleagues know, the V-Chip is an important device to have 
built into TV sets, and by the beginning of next year, that is, January 
of the year 2000, every television set that is sold in the United 
States will have a V-chip built into it. We sell 25 million TV sets a 
year in the United States. But the V-chip is really only a way by which 
parents, in programming it, can block out the programming they do not 
want their children to be exposed to. In no way can the V-Chip put good 
programming on the air.
  What is happening here, what is being encouraged by the advertisers 
of the United States, is encouragement given to the networks, to the 
cable industry, to the satellite industry to put good programming on 
that parents can sit their children down in front of with the parent 
sitting there with them and watch as a family. It is something that 
should be encouraged. It is something that this resolution, I think, 
correctly identifies as just the kind of trend that we should be 
encouraging here in the Congress.
  I want to again congratulate my friend from Ohio.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Washington (Mr. Metcalf).
  Mr. METCALF. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the 
time. I rise in support of this resolution. I have long been an 
advocate for more family-friendly programming on television. American 
children spend much of their time each week in front of a TV, and it is 
important that at least some of the programs available to them are 
devoid of the gratuitous sex and violence that so frequently pollute 
prime TV. I really believe the sponsors should not be allowed their 
advertising deduction when they sponsor programming which is clearly 
over the line for family audiences. We in the House should be 
encouraging the television industry to clean up its act, and I am happy 
to support this resolution today.
  Again, I thank the gentleman for having yielded this time to me.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this 
resolution because it encourages TV networks, studios, and the 
production community to produce more quality family programs. In a time 
of extreme violence and graphic situations on television, I am proud to 
support this measure. We need to encourage any voluntary efforts by the 
entertainment industry to clean up prime time TV.
  Traditionally, prime time television was concentrated in the early 
portion of the evening TV schedule--7 or 8 pm. During this time, 
families would watch television together, usually with dinner or 
shortly thereafter while the children were still awake. The programming 
that was aired during these hours focused on the family unit.
  Recently, this trend has changed dramatically. Most of the networks 
do not air any family programming at this time, or such programming has 
been limited to certain nights of the week, such as Sunday. Gone are 
the days of an entire family sitting around the television set.
  The traditional family programming has been replaced with violence, 
sexual situations and profanity. Thankfully, the industry's internal 
system of checks and balances has weighed heavily in favor of the 
family's return to prime time.
  The Family Friendly Programming Forum, established this year by 30 
advertisers, encourages the networks to develop family friendly 
programming for families to view together. In addition to encouraging 
more family friendly programming through advertising revenues, the 
Forum will establish a special fund to finance scripts written for such 
programming.
  The Forum will also establish a scholarship program to encourage 
student interest in family friendly programming. Such efforts will send 
a powerful message to television producers, network executives and 
other advertisers that consumers deserve better programming for their 
families and that advertisers will be more selective in sponsoring 
certain programs.
  I support this effort because families deserve to have a time to sit 
and watch television together. Parents should ultimately maintain 
control over the television and what programs are acceptable in the 
home, but the networks do have some responsibility to promote a more 
positive alternative to the sex and violence currently seen in prime 
time.
  Advertisers are in the unique position to provide that internal 
check--advertising dollars that can send the message that parents want 
more programming geared for family viewing. I strongly support internal 
industry checks on television content and I support the efforts of the 
Family Friendly Programming Forum. I urge my Colleagues to support this 
resolution.
  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I do not have any further speakers, so I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. MARKEY. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional requests for time 
either, so I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Foley). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H.Con.Res. 
184.
  The question was taken.
  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8, rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

                          ____________________