BY CARLOS MEDLEY
o you remember when American network television
was family-friendly? I do. But today television programming is more like a mine
field, and children are the most vulnerable targets. (I’m writing from the perspective
of the United States, but I believe, of course, that my sentiments certainly
apply in many other societies around the world.)
In August the Parents Television Council (PTC),
a non-profit, grassroots organization in California, released its fifth analysis
of North American family-hour television programming (normally aired 8:00-9:00
p.m. Eastern and Pacific Time, or 7:00-8:00 p.m. Central and Mountain time).
Titled “The Sour Family Hour 8 to 9 Goes From
Bad to Worse,” the report is an analysis of nearly 200 hours of television programming
that aired on ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, UPN, and WB. The shows were aired during the
three sweeps periods during the 2000-2001 television season.1
The study focused on three types of content: sexual
references (including visual acts and verbal material), foul language, and violence.
According to the report, “the overall combined per-hour average of objectionable
content was 8.41, a 24 percent increase [since May 1999].” UPN (the United Paramount
Network) led the networks with a combined average of 18.1 incidents. NBC placed
second with 9.12, and CBS, with 3.22, had the “least offensive material.”
The biggest change came in the area of foul language,
which increased 78 percent, from 1.44 incidents per hour in 1999 to 2.57. UPN
again led all the networks with an average of 5.59, up 124 percent from its
1999 level of 2.5.
Violence also increased dramatically, up 70 percent
from 1.62 to 2.75. Sexual references were down 17 percent, from 3.68 to 3.08.
However, 1999 levels represent an increase of 77 percent over the 2.09 references
per hour found in 1997. NBC, with 5.73 references, led the networks in sexual
content.
According to the report, only about 12 percent
of network programming was fit for children aged 2-11, even though Nielsen research
shows that more than 10 million may be watching television during the family
hour on any given night. Overall, children and adolescents spend between 21
and 28 hours per week watching television.2
As I studied the report, I was particularly disturbed
by the sharp increase in violence, 70 percent within a year. This is troubling
to me because hundreds of studies have shown a strong correlation between real-life
and media violence. Consider the following:
- In January, Jason Lined, 13, of Torrington,
Connecticut, decided to imitate an MTV stunt program in which one of the cast
members lay across a barbeque while his colleagues applied lighter fluid. The
stuntman wore a special fireproof suit covered with steak, which the cast tried
to cook. When Jason and his friends reenacted the stunt, he suffered severe
burns on his legs. The incident prompted Senator Joe Lieberman to call on MTV
to clean up the program and prevent future copycat injuries.3
- In February, Andrew Bausch, 16, of Ohio, jumped
off his roof onto a burning card table to imitate a wrestling stunt he saw on
TV.
Given the moral decay in TV programming, it’s
imperative that Christians should be careful about the quality and quantity
of TV viewing. However, we should also go the second mile and voice our displeasure
to our public representatives. The Federal Communications Commission takes careful
note of how the public responds to media programming. After all, in North America
the public owns the airwaves, and we should have a voice on how they’re used.
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1 Normally occurring in November, February, and
April-May, the sweeps period is the television rating services’ polling of audiences
to determine their viewing habits.
2 Media Fact Sheet, National Institute on Media
and the Family.
3 “MTV Defends Itself After Youth Burned in ‘Copycat’
Incident,” www.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/29/mtv.fire.02.
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Carlos Medley is news and online editor for the Adventist Review.
