A Congressional Call for Return of ‘Family Hour’

A bipartisan group of U.S. congressmen is calling upon the six major commercial television networks to voluntarily cleanse the 8-9 p.m. hour of programs that it claims promote “promiscuity and obscene language,” and to return to the tradition of the “family hour.”

Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), one of the leaders of the group, said Tuesday: “We are trying to encourage them to return to the family hour, where you can watch television with your family without being embarrassed, or you can put your children alone in front of the television without being concerned about them being influenced by casual sex and wanton violence.”

An advertisement signed by Smith and 73 other U.S. senators and representatives--both conservative and liberal--appeared Tuesday on the back page of Daily Variety in the form of an open letter to the heads of ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, the United Paramount Network and the Warner Bros. Network. Among those whose names appear on the ad are Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) and Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II (D-Mass.).

The ad, paid for by the Media Research Center, a conservative research and education foundation in Virginia, called for a “voluntary return to the spirit of the family hour.”

Executives at Fox, ABC, NBC, CBS and UPN could not be reached or declined comment. But they have said previously that families can no longer be counted on to watch TV together. In addition, many children have alternatives to watching network TV at 8 p.m., such as looking at the Cartoon Network or Nick at Night on cable, playing video games or watching videotapes.

Jamie Kellner, head of the Warner Bros. Network, said Tuesday that it would be a mistake for all networks to provide programming strictly for children from 8 to 9 p.m. because diversity is needed. But he added that his fledgling network, which offers programming two nights a week, does and will continue to provide family programming at 8: “Our network can become the one place where families can watch together.”

The campaign, which comes as the TV industry is working to develop a ratings system that parents could use in conjunction with the so-called V-chip to block out what they consider offensive programs, is the latest effort by child advocates and special interest groups to appeal to television programmers. The networks have cut back significantly on prime-time programs targeted at children in order to compete for the most desired demographic group: young adults. The traditional family hour is now filled with references to sex, off-color language and adult-oriented themes in series such as “Friends,” “Melrose Place” and “The Drew Carey Show.”

“Until recently,” reads the full-page ad, “the major networks set aside the first hour of prime time for family programming. This time slot featured such wholesome series as ‘Happy Days,’ ‘Little House on the Prairie’ and ‘The Cosby Show’; adult-oriented fare was relegated to the late evening hours.

“This voluntary covenant with the viewing public has disintegrated to the point where the former Family Hour now features sitcoms and dramas promoting promiscuity and obscene language.”

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The ad stems from a study by the Media Research Center that concluded that vulgar language “is now constant” in the 8 p.m. hour, and that sexual material, formerly restricted to between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., was now being featured at 8 p.m. The study added that premarital sex on the programs was not only common--outnumbering portrayals of sex within a marriage by an 8-to-1 ratio--but was almost always condoned.

The study called NBC’s “Mad About You” and “JAG” the worst offenders in so-called obscene language, using words such as “ass,” “bitch” and “bastard.” Also, Fox was named as the most prominent network in terms of sex portrayed within the 8 p.m. hour.

“We, the Members of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, urge you, the leaders of the major commercial broadcast networks, to recognize the pernicious effects of this programming on our children,” reads the ad. “By creating a safe haven for the family viewing audience, and resolving to dedicate one hour of prime time programming to the promotion of positive values, the entertainment industry would not only endear itself to parents, but also immeasurably benefit American society.”

Leaders of the campaign said they are not calling for a mandatory policy or for government intervention into the industry.