[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 14, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S302]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. HOLLINGS (for himself, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Dorgan, and Mrs. 
        Hutchison):
  S. 161. A bill to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require 
that violent video programming is limited to broadcast after the hours 
when children are reasonably likely to comprise a substantial portion 
of the audience, unless it is specifically rated on the basis of its 
violent content so that it is blockable by electronic means 
specifically on the basis of that content; to the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Children's 
Protection from Violent Programming Act. This legislation is of vital 
importance to our young children and their families.
  The purpose of the bill is to require the Federal Communications 
Commission to consider whether to institute a ``Safe Harbor'' during 
which gratuitously violent television programming could not be 
televised to America's children. Today, I am joined in this effort by 
several of my colleagues, Senators Hutchison, Inouye, and Dorgan, who 
are all original cosponsors of the legislation. I have sponsored 
similar legislation in each of the last five Congresses and this same 
legislation was reported out of the Senate Commerce Committee during 
the 106th Congress by a vote of 17 to 1. I feel compelled to 
reintroduce this bill again to stem the tide of violent programming 
that is becoming more and more prevalent in our society. Unfortunately, 
violence in the media begets violence by our youths and we have an 
obligation to address this societal problem head on. We know commercial 
interests will not, so we must act.
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