From: To: A16.A16(kidstv) Date: 10/16/95 12:30pm Subject: children's television 10/15/95 Honorable Commissioners: The proposed rules to improve children's programming should be carried out to the greatest extent. Every possible measure that can be taken in order to influence children's programming in a positive direction is one step closer to a brighter future for the next generation of television viewers. Many people are concerned about the amount of violence that children have access to on the television with a mere flip of a switch. The efforts to reduce the availability of violent programming to children will not completely stop children from seeing such programming. However, the implications of the negative effects of violence will hopefully help children to understand that violence is not acceptable behavior. Such precautions as the V-chip, allowing the audience to judge the quality of licensee's programming and meeting educational and informational needs of children are great ideas. They are possible remedies to eliminate some of the inapporpriate elements of television that children have access to view. Although it cannot be 100% effective, it is helpful and will make conservative parents and concerned parties more comfortable knowing that children are not viewing what they don't think is appropriate. However, if a parent is that concerned, they would probably have enough sense to talk to their kids about what is acceptable behavior and what is just television fiction. "Sadly, those most inclined to violence often have parents least inclined to control what they see. But parents cannot be banned, nor, unfortunately, can all violent instincts. But information and chips could help," stated one journalist from "The Economist,"(Volume 332, August 13, 1994.) Children, by nature, will find a way to view what they want since they are not being supervised by their parents all the time. Statistics by Stewart Cohen of the scholarly journal, "Childhood Education" Winter 1993, show that the more television that is available to a child, the less active that child will be in athletics and social activity. Television "occupies such a large portion of children's time [that it] will have some discernible outcome upon behavior." A good way to increase physical activity in children would be to increase programming supporting athletics and socially accepted activities. This could possibly spark interest in positive physical activity and distract children from violent tendencies. Children today are just plain absent mindedly watching too much television not knowing about or caring about the psychological effects it has on them. A child is very impressionable and when they watch up to 5,000 hours by the first grade, they will most likely mimic some of what they see. Warnings of indecent content in programming will not phase a childs desire to watch the show unless a parent is there to explain to the child why they shouldn't see that particular show. The more positive activity that is protrayed on television, the more children will imitate socially acceptable behavior. Indirectly, programmers do have an affect on children who watch significant amounts of television. The violence in chldren's programming is disturbing because it is a direct ploy to get the children to watch a program. The more children they get to watch their shows the more advertisers will pay to have their commercials aired and the broadcast stations get wealthier because of it. Parents need to explain what television is about so that children know not to mimic it until suitable children's programming is aired. Yours truly, Seth Moore smoore1@ic3.ithaca.edu CC: FCCMAIL.SMTP("massmedia@liber.ithaca.edu")