From:      <mschiav1@ic3.ithaca.edu>
To:        A16.A16(KIDSTV)
Date:      10/11/95 3:08pm

Dear FCC Comissioners,

       I have done some  research on the violence on television
and it's  effect on children and here is what I have found.
       In a special report by  Anita Diamant, she discusses the
issue of  violence in the media.  In her research,  she  states
that exposure to   TV violence is hazardous to  children's health
and  welfare.  She claims   that an overwhelming majority of
Americans--87 percent of those  questioned in a  parents poll
said that the media "contains too much  violence", and  73
percent agreed that the "depiction of violence in  movies, on TV,
and so forth is the cause of increased acts of  violence  in our
society."  Forty-four percent thought that limiting the amount of 
violence on television and in films  would be "very effective"
and  another  forty-one percent thought that it would be
"moderately  effective" in reducing real-life violence.
          In another  article written from a U.S. News and World
Report   called "Sex and Violence on TV" and written by Mark 
Silver, the same  topic is addressed.  He covers similar issues
as Anita Diamant  and also  intoduces another.  Silver claims
that the"V-chip" is the favorite  solution in blocking channels
that might show programs that are too  violent for children to
watch.    "Both Houses of Congress have supported  legislation
requiring that new TV sets come with a chip enabling parents  to
block violent programs.  The V-chip is a few years away....in the 
interim,  children will see  thousands  of violent  acts  on TV." 
Silver  also says that in a study  performed by the American
Psychological   Association,  the typical child  watching 27
hours of TV a week, will  view 8000 murders and 100,000 acts of 
violence from age 3 to  age 12.   "Promos for violent shows are
especially proned to "condensed violence"  with no context."
      Judging  from  this  research, it is evident that the
exposure to  violence on television is a problem  for the youth
of today.    Personally,  I believe that something should be done 
regarding violence  in the  media.  The idea of the V-chip is a
good one but the  public  might  not want to  wait  that long for
a solution.  I think that  immediate action is necessary. 
Parental control can also be part of the  answer but, we have  to
consider that in  a dual income household,  there  is not always
an adult figure to mediate what should and should not be  viewed 
by the children.
      Because of this predicament, I feel that the FCC should
play a role  in helping to resolve  this dilemma.  I  think that
there needs to be   more restrictions on  violent programming
that may be influencial  and   even detrimental to today's
children.  By regulating children's  television, I  feel that
there  will be a decrease in the percentage   of negative 
outcomes that are an  indirect result of violence in the   media. 
        
                          Thank you for your time,
                          Marlaina  Schiavo  


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