Wednesday, October 16, 1996
MEDIA:
Stations make progress in reducing violence on shows, according
to new researchBy Brooke Olson
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Violence on network television is declining and "moving in the
right direction," according to the second annual study conducted by
the UCLA Center for Communication Policy.
Focusing primarily on broadcast network programming, the study
noted that the number of series which raised frequent concerns
about violence dropped in the 1995-96 television season.
In addition, the study found that programs which deal well with
violent themes continue to represent some of the highest-quality
programs aired on television.
"Clearly the networks have made progress in reducing violence on
television, and have responded to the recommendations from our
report on the 1994-95 season," said Jeff Cole, director of the UCLA
Center for Communication Policy .
But while the overall violence on network television decreased
over last year’s findings, several series still raise concerns
about their impact on society.
While most children’s television shows increasingly appeal to
kids’ imaginations rather than catering to a demand for action,
several of the most popular shows feature "sinister combat
violence", as did 10 percent of the made-for-TV movies and 29
percent of theatrical films.
"We feel that the important trends are moving in the right
direction, yet some problems about violence remain, and a few new
issues also have emerged," Cole said.
Two of the most pressing concerns which arose during the study
were the number of television specials showing footage of animals
attacking people and the frequent use of violence on the United
Paramount Network (UPN).
The UCLA study monitored every network prime time and Saturday
morning entertainment programs aired during the 1995-96 television
season  more than 30,000 hours of programming on ABC, CBS,
Fox and NBC.
For comparison purposes, the study also examined violence in
local and syndicated television, public television, basic and pay
cable, home video, video games played on television and programming
which aired on the UPN and WB networks.
The UCLA Television Violence Report was initiated by Sen. Paul
Simon (D-Illinois) in 1994, based on a three-year agreement with
the four television networks, who funded the study.
In December 1992, the networks issued 15 guidelines on the
subject of television violence, agreeing that "all depictions of
violence should be relevant to the development of character, or the
advancement of theme or plot."
Banned were scenes that glamorized violence, that showed
excessive gore or suffering and that used violence to shock or
stimulate the audience. The networks also agreed to avoid portrayal
of "dangerous behavior which would invite imitation by
children."
The UCLA Television Violence Report was created specifically to
analyze the context of violence  whether violence is
appropriate to a broadcast, the consequences of violence and
whether violence is necessary to tell the story or for character
development.
"Examining violence in context is the key to this study," Cole
said. "Violence can be an important part of story telling … (but)
what does concern parents is programming that sends the message
that violent behavior does not have consequences or goes
unpunished," he added.
The report contains two new recommendations, in addition to the
10 proposals made after last year’s study, adding fledgling UPN and
the Warner Bros. (WB) networks to the study and extending it beyond
the original three-year agreement.
Despite increased progress in deterring violence, the report
emphasizes that much needs to be done to ensure that the gains of
the past season are solidified and continue for subsequent
seasons.