If you're shopping for a new TV set, but like most parents, you feel overwhelmed by all the violence, sex and raw language on television, hang in there. Help is on its way.
Coming to a television near you . . . a new technology that promises to help parents parent more effectively. It's called the "v-chip." V is for violence. This little silicone wafer will probably be installed in every newly manufactured television set sold in America very soon. It will allow viewers to block certain explicit programming from their homes by punching a few buttons on their remote control keypads.
Congress is proposing legislation to introduce this new technology in response to millions of complaints from virtually every segment of the marketplace about the abundance of sex, violence and profanity on television. This issue is not without controversy, however. Both sides of the political aisle agree that media has gone too far. The disparity between them is not how far, but in which direction. Violence seems to be the hot issue with Democrats, while explicit sex and profanity seems to offend Republicans more. Other differences between them center around their proposed solutions. The Dems are eager to regulate the situation, while the GOP would rather put pressure on the offenders and embarrass them into compliance. In either case, the Senate has already passed a v-chip bill and a House version is not far behind.
The legislation will permit the entertainment industry ample time for self-regulation. Even though this is exactly what Hollywood petitioned for--the right to clean up their own backyard--they would rather be left alone to do it in their own time and their own way. The legislative caveat here is that if television programmers don't do the job themselves, congress will have the power to appoint an independent panel to set the standards for them.
Its not going to be easy getting network and cable executives to define, much less label, program content that falls into the category of "violence, nudity and other objectionable material."
Unlike the current, subtle "Parental Advisory" label, this new alternative will actually activate a devise in millions of households that will measurably shrink the audience of adult-themed programs. This will result in the targeted programs being of less value to advertisers, and therefore less profitable to the networks.
Nothing is perfect. But this technology offers some real tangible benefits to parents who are concerned about the impact of TV violence and sexual content on their children. One advantage is that it will replace the need for mom or dad to resort to more drastic means of controlling their kid's viewing habits, like hiding the TV power cord, or locking the set in the closet. And, the v-chip works. It was successfully tested in Canada last year. Manufacturers say it will add only about $5 to the retail price of a television set. It is simple to operate--sort of a programmable, content-sensitive "on/off" switch. The "on" option should silence cries of "censorship."
I'm opposed to a lot of government interference in our society. However, the v-chip seems to be the most practical solution, short of intervention, that has been suggested thus far. Its most outstanding feature is that it empowers parents to do their jobs more effectively. Those opposed to this option have not offered any alternative suggestions.
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Dick Rolfe is Chairman of The Dove Foundation a nonprofit organization whose mission is to encourage and promote the creation, production and distribution of wholesome family entertainment. For more information about wholesome films and videos, write: 535 E. Fulton, Suite 1A, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, or call (616)454-5024.
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Updated by: Scott RolfeCopyright © 1995, The Dove Foundation. All rights reserved.