‘Videos’ Screener’s View

Re the uproar over “America’s Funniest Home Videos” and Howard Rosenberg’s recent articles: I have been a screener of videos for the ABC show and feel that the impression given by the articles totally misrepresents the facts.

As a screener, it was made very clear to me that tapes such as the ones described by “Smitty” in Rosenberg’s April 9 column would never be acceptable. The producers have no control over what is mailed to them.

I can appreciate “Smitty’s” concern for child endangerment and animal cruelty. But any suggestion that all of these videos were made specifically for the show and to win the prize money is untrue.

I am well acquainted with two of the videos mentioned in the April 9 article. One was made long before the show ever existed, (an 8-millimeter film transferred to video). The other was shot without the participants being aware.

Among 16 to 18 screeners, each viewing 70 to 100 tapes a day, I saw an average of six or seven tapes a week that were obvious “set-ups.” Of those, few involved any reckless endangerment. Those tapes that did involve cruel behavior were sent by people who just happened to catch these incidents on camera.

To accuse the show of encouraging abuse is unwarranted.

PETER CORRALLO

Los Angeles