Viewers Surveyed Say Government Should Not Control Content on TV
Posted on: Monday, 3 April 2006, 15:00 CDT
By Lynn Elber THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
An overwhelming majority of voters believe that viewers and not the government should make decisions about what is appropriate to watch on television, according to a poll conducted for the group TV Watch.
A telephone survey of 501 registered voters found that 82 percent said they would prefer to see individuals exercise personal choice over what they see on TV, with 12 percent favoring government regulation, TV Watch said Thursday.
The organization was formed last year with the stated goals of helping educate parents about the tools available to make family viewing choices and countering government control of TV programming.
According to TV Watch's Web site, members include the American Conservative Union, the Media Freedom Project, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and media giants NBC Universal and CBS Corp.
"We need to remove the fog of misinformation, hyperbole and emotions that have been the calling card of a vocal minority pushing the government to become more involved in television regulation," said Jim Dyke, executive director of TV Watch.
Earlier this month, the government renewed its crackdown on what it considers indecency in television by proposing a total of $3.9 million in new fines, including a record $3.6 million fine involving the depiction of a teenage sexual orgy on CBS' "Without a Trace."
The FCC also upheld its $550,000 fine against CBS stations for Janet Jackson's 2004 Super Bowl flash of nudity.
Dyke said the poll conducted for TV Watch reinforces the fact the public believes "that parents should be making the decisions about what their children should and shouldn't see on TV, as opposed to the government making decisions."
Families need to be made aware of the V-chip, cable and satellite blocking devices and other tools available to them to screen content, Dyke said Thursday.
On the Web: www.televisionwatch.org
Source: Daily Breeze
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User Comments (1)
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Posted by Shayla on 03/22/2009, 14:09 I belive that the goverment should not control what we watch on t.v. Becaus it's our parents or gaurdian's decision on what we watch not the goverment i am 15 years old and i am against the goverment controling on what we watch on t.v. |
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