Hearing of Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on Indencency
Mr. Chairman,
I am pleased that the Commerce Committee is holding a formal hearing on this issue. I would like to thank our witnesses for coming today. I briefly want to offer a few comments this morning. Unfortunately, I have to leave shortly to attend a number of meetings relating to the Sago Mine Disaster.
I believe that any programming option that gives consumers more choices is a good thing, and I think the companies that have pledged to offer a family tier should be commended for taking this step, but I do not believe that voluntary actions alone are sufficient to address this issue.
I know that the Committee has spent a great deal of time examining the most appropriate manner to address indecency issues, but it is time for this Committee to take action.
I, along with Senator Hutchison, have introduced comprehensive legislation almost a year ago to address the issues that our witnesses will discuss. Our bill would provide parents the tools that they need to protect their children form indecent and overly violent and gratuitous programming.
I still believe that we need to address the root cause of the issue - the ever increasing level of indecent and gratuitous and overly violent content. Creating tiers of programming is a good step, but I believe that it is not enough if we are going to make a substantive change in what programming is actually shown.
Mr. Chairman, we cannot simply declare victory in addressing this significant societal problem based on the few limited announcements of family tiers. Voluntary actions alone will not serve the majority of my constituents as the cable companies in West Virginia who serve the vast majority of consumers have not adopted family programming tiers as of yet.
I still maintain that my legislation is compatible with the industry's voluntary efforts. My bill only requires the FCC to determine if existing technologies are ineffective at protecting our children then the content regulation of cable and satellite programming would occur.
If the industry's commitment to consumer awareness, technological advancements, and new programming options are commercially successful, the FCC may find that existing efforts to keep children away for violent and indecent programming is working and further regulation is not needed. But, let's have the FCC make this determine and not the industry.
We have tried decades of self-regulation to little effect to say the least. One only needs to look at the current spate of programming to recognize that the television industry has no incentive to address this issue. I fear the creation of a family friendly tier could, perversely, create other programming on the non-family tier could become more indecent and violent with the industry using the opt-out of "you can always purchase the family tier."
Again, I want to thank our witnesses for being here today and I apologize that I will not be able to stay for the entire hearing.
I hope that everyone pays close attention to Jeff McIntyre from the American Psychological Association who will speak about the effects of television violence on children. Television violence is a public health hazard and this Committee absolutely must address this issue along with indecency. I know several of the other witnesses will try and discount this view, but I believe that the scientific evidence is irrefutable.
I look forward to working with everyone on the Committee to move my legislation forward in the weeks ahead.
http://rockefeller.senate.gov/news/2006/2006_0118%20Hearings%20Indecency%20Opening%20Statement.html