FCC Wants to Hear From You

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FCC Seeks Violence Comments

Government regulators want to know what you think about violent television programs. They claim your answer could influence policy.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the government agency charged with regulating the broadcast airwaves, wants to hear what you have to say about the impact of violent television on your kids.

Your comments may influence decision-making and government action.

Specifically, the FCC is calling for comments from parents across America concerned about the impact of excessively violent broadcast television programming on children — parents like Natalie Mead, who says her house has strict TV rules.

"I don't want my kids to be thinking violent thoughts, or to be . . . seeing those images in their heads and so I don't want them to watch violence," Mead said.

The FCC action came only after a directive from members of Congress, according to Steve Isaac, online editor of Plugged In magazine.

"Here we have an opportunity, an extended invitation, from the FCC: 'We want to know what you think about violence on TV,' " he said. "So, we have to take advantage of that."

Popular shows such as Fox's "24" and CBS' "CSI" push the envelope of violent programming, while the FCC looks the other way, Isaac added.

Lara Mahaney, a spokeswoman for the Parents Television Council, said the call represents "the first time they've really started to take a look at" TV violence.

"They ask the questions: 'Is it harmful to kids?' 'What's its effect?' Well, there've been over a thousand studies that said that there's a causal connection," she said.

She said public outcry is exactly what it will take to rein in excessive violence on broadcast TV.

The generic pronouncement against "violence" by pro-family groups is facile. There is, of course, righteous Lone-Ranger-vanquishes-the-bad-guys type violence that is actually healthy for children to see. But this gesture from the FCC does present a good opportunity, one conservatives should seize.

The article includes links to the FCC "Notice of Inquiry" and a CapWiz form you can use to send with one click the same message to all the FCC commissioners.

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