The V-Chip, ratings and sex & violence on cable. A status report

Term Paper , 1999 , 10 Pages , Grade: 1- (A-)

Communications - Movies and Television

In last Thursday’s edition of USA Today concerned parents had no doubt about what was responsible for the High School shootings in Colorado. 49% agreed that TV, movies and music “have a great deal of blame” for the shootings (topped only by ‘availability of guns’ and ‘parents’) and 52% spoke out for “more restrictions on TV and movie violence” (USA Today 1999, p. 3A). Violence on television has been an issue for a very long time. This has different reasons: First, children (who seem to be the center of the debate most of the times) are a society’s most precious good. Threatening the well-being of their children is probably the worst thing you can do to people. That’s why at all times adults were afraid their children could get harmed by whatever media they were exposed to – be it comic books, early movie theaters, rock music or television.

I don’t want to go into great detail and talk much about research on media effects, but I think it is simplistic and dangerous to assume a direct causality between violence portrayed on television and violent behavior in real life. But tragic incidents like the shooting in Colorado last week will give a boil-up to the discussion of stronger control over violent TV programming and effective measures that can be taken to prevent children from consuming this violence.

This paper deals with the technology of the so-called V-Chip and the fairly new television ratings system that were made mandatory by the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The advantages and disadvantages of these appliances will be discussed as well as cable’s special role in this significant issue.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• The Telecommunications Act of 1996
• The TV Ratings system
  • TV-Y: All children
  • TV-Y7: Directed to older children
  • TV-G: General audience
  • TV-PG: Parental guidance suggested
  • TV-14: Parents strongly cautioned
  • TV-MA: Mature audience only
• The V-Chip
• The role of cable

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper explores the V-Chip and the television ratings system implemented by the Telecommunications Act of 1996. It examines the advantages and disadvantages of these tools, as well as cable's role in addressing violence and sexual content on television.

• The impact of violence on television on society and children
• The role of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 in regulating television content
• The effectiveness of the TV Ratings system and V-Chip in protecting children
• The influence of cable in the debate on television violence
• The implications of the ratings system and V-Chip for parental control

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: This chapter discusses the growing concern over violence on television and its potential impact on children, emphasizing the debate over regulating violent content. It introduces the V-Chip and television ratings system as key elements in this discussion.
• The Telecommunications Act of 1996: This chapter explores the Telecommunications Act of 1996, focusing on Section 551, which mandated parental choice in television programming. It highlights the act's aim to establish voluntary rating systems and the involvement of the FCC in regulating these systems.
• The TV Ratings system: This chapter outlines the TV Parental Guidelines, comparing them to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) ratings. It analyzes the initial lack of content-specific information in the ratings and the subsequent development of a more comprehensive system, including content indicators like "V" for violence, "L" for crude language, "S" for sexual content, and "D" for sexual dialogue.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This paper focuses on key terms related to the regulation of television content, including: Telecommunications Act of 1996, V-Chip, television ratings system, parental choice, content indicators, violent content, sexual content, cable television, media effects, and parental control.

• College: Ohio University (School of Telecommunication)
• Course: Cable Communication
• Grade: 1- (A-)
• Author: Christoph Koch (Author)
• Publication Year: 1999
• Pages: 10
• Catalog Number: V3942
• ISBN (eBook): 9783638124492
• ISBN (Book): 9783638756389
• Language: English
• Tags: Telecommunications Act of 1996, TV Ratings System, The V-Chip, The Role of Cable