FCC seeks congressional curbs on TV gore

WASHINGTON, April 26 (UPI) -- The U.S. Congress should fashion limits for television violence to shield children from gory images, the Federal Communications Commission recommended.

The FCC report, concluding that violent programming was harmful to children, said that Congress could draft parameters that don't violate First Amendment rights, The Los Angeles Times said Thursday. While not defining violence, the report said lawmakers have the authority to grant the FCC the power to limit hours when broadcasters can air excessive violence.

The report, issued Wednesday, also determined Congress could require cable and satellite providers to allow viewers to choose the channels they want.

"Clearly, steps should be taken to protect children from excessively violent programming," said FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin, who has pushed cable and satellite companies to offer "a la carte" pricing. "While the Constitution protects the right to speak, it certainly doesn't protect a right to get paid for that speech."

NBC Universal, in a statement said regulating violent content "without clear, objective and consistent standards" threatens the range of programming available to U.S. audiences.

The National Association of Broadcasters and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association criticized the report, saying the V-chip and other parental controls were better solutions.