The Nation - News from Dec. 4, 1987

In an effort to curb television violence seen by children, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation to give the TV industry a three-year exemption from federal antitrust laws. Passed unanimously by voice vote, the measure, introduced by Illinois Sen. Paul Simon, would allow industry executives to discuss, develop and implement their own voluntary standards on TV violence. The American Civil Liberties Union, in a letter to Committee Chairman Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.), called the bill unconstitutional, arguing that it “represents a real, albeit indirect, governmental intrusion into the content of television programming.” A similar measure was passed by the Senate a year ago, but it died in the House when the Congress adjourned.