Book Description

It is estimated that the typical American child will watch 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence before finishing elementary school. Concern for the impact television violence may have on American society prompted this Senate hearing. As stated by Senator Hollings, the goals of the hearing were the following: (1) to determine the compelling State interest; (2) examine the historical record of Congress in this area; (3) review how the television industry could police itself; and (4) study the numerous bills which had been introduced. Opening statements were made by the following U.S. Senators (in order): Ernest F. Hollings, John C. Danforth, J. James Exon, Conrad Burns, Byron L. Dorgan, John F. Kerry, Slade Gorton, Kay Bailey Hutchison, and Larry Pressler. Those presenting testimony were: Catherine Belter, National Parent Teacher Association; Winston Cox, Showtime Networks Inc. & National Cable Television Association's Satellite Network Programmers Committee; Gael Davis, National Council of Negro Women; Al DeVaney, WPWR-TV Channel 50 & Association of Independent Television Stations, Inc.; Edward Donnerstein, Department of Communications, University of California; Paul Dovre, Concordia College; Dave Durenberger, U.S. Senator from Minnesota; Robert Gould, National Coalition on Television Violence; Carl Levin, U.S. Senator from Michigan; Mara Purl, Susan Clark, & Alex Karas; James Quello, Federal Communications Commission; Janet Reno, Attorney General of the United States; Paul Simon, U.S. Senator from Illinois; Joy Stockwell & Dean Stockwell; Howard Stringer, CBS Broadcast Group; Jack Valenti, Motion Picture Association of America; George Vradenburg, III, Fox, Inc.; Lindsay Wagner. Appendices include: Carl Levin, U.S. Senator, letter from, to U.S. Senator Hollings, dated November 3, 1993; prepared statement of the American Medical Association; Ed Donnerstein, University of California, Santa Barbara, letter from, to John Windhausen; prepared statement of Senator Dorgan; and "H. F. Guggenheim Urges Vigilance against Media Violence," press release. (JBJ)