Chairman Rockefeller Statement on the Child Safe Viewing Act Report
August 31, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, made the following statement regarding the FCC’s report on the Child Safe Viewing Act released today:
“Television is a powerful force. It can educate and entertain, but it also can expose children to troubling content, like gratuitous sex and violence. This is why I welcome the FCC’s Child Safe Viewing Act Report. It provides useful information about existing blocking technologies.
“However, this alone is not enough. Like so many parents across the country, I believe more must be done – by the industry, by the FCC, and by the Congress – to provide simple ways for families to control and monitor their children’s screen time. We must offer the tools and policies that make it easy for people to be good parents and oversee the viewing that goes on in their homes. We must do more than simply gather information and hope this alone protects our children.
“For this reason, I look forward to the FCC’s next action in this area. My interest level in this issue has long been high, as are my expectations. I will continue fighting for these important protections and look forward to working with Senator Pryor and my other Commerce Committee colleagues on this vitally important issue.”
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