February 11, 1998

 COMMISSIONER TRISTANI CHALLENGES PARENTS, INDUSTRY, SOCIETY TO
           PROTECT CHILDREN FROM HARMFUL TV VIOLENCE 
                                
     FCC Commissioner Gloria Tristani, in a speech to the Puerto Rican Congress on
Television Violence in San Juan, PR, today said it is "First and most clearly . . . the obligation
of the parents to protect their children from television programming they believe is
inappropriate."  She also assured them that the FCC can help "give parents the tools to protect
their children from material that they believe is inappropriate. . . [and] can help make sure that
parents have a good alternative to violent programming."

     While parents have the primary responsibility to protect children from inappropriate
programming, Commissioner Tristani also noted the responsibilities of the entertainment
industry to acknowledge the importance of reducing the level of violence on programs that
children watch, and of society to convey to the industry, to children and to each other that
harmful violence in such programming will not be tolerated.

     She noted that government was providing two important tools to help parents -- the V-
chip and rules requiring a minimum level of quality children's programming.

     She said, "I believe . . . [the V-chip] is fully consistent with the First Amendment. . .
I'm a strong believer in free speech.  But I'm also a strong believer in the health and well-
being of our children.  I do not believe these goals are mutually exclusive."

     "In addition to letting parents protect their kids from programming they don't want
them to see, the FCC has also developed rules to encourage the development of programming
that parents actually do want their kids to see.  These rules are based on the Children's
Television Act of 1990," she said.

     "I challenge parents to take an interest in the programs their children are watching and
talk about the content of the programs and commercials with their children.  Parents should
also contact their local stations. Let them know what you like and don't like about their
programming.  I also challenge those in the entertainment industry -- substantially reduce the
violent content in programs that children watch and voluntarily include in violent programming
the very real consequences of violent acts and punishment for the perpetrator."

     "Finally, I challenge each of us to speak out publicly and say that violence in programs
that children watch will no longer be tolerated."