Over the years, the argument on what should be shown on TV has become a controversial issue. Some people/organizations believe that TV should be left to generate a profit, while others believe that it should serve for the public good. Some people/organizations also believe that the government should restrict the content on TV, while others say the government should not interfere with TV programming. These discussions have led to regulations that have been put on TV broadcasting companies. Like movies, television broadcasting companies now show ratings for each TV show with labels such as PG, TV-MA, and others. These arguments over content on television programming has even caused television makers to install V-Chips that will allow a parent to prevent their child/children from watching shows that they feel are inappropriate for their age.
As influential the TV is to the public, TV broadcasting should be used for both profit and to serve the public good. Television has become one of the leading forms of entertainment, and no doubt the content on television has a direct effect on the amount of money a TV broadcasting company makes. TV broadcasting companies are going to generate more money if their programming is sexually provocative or shows extreme forms of violence. This then causes the TV broadcasting companies to air more provocative shows to produce more revenue. While this is fine, television broadcasting companies also can and should serve the public good at the same time. TV broadcasting companies can show informative shows that are to serve the public good such as news, children’s programming, and educational programming, like the shows they put on the Discovery Channel. With the desire to make money by showing provoking shows and the airing of programs that serve the public good, the television broadcasting companies can generate a wider audience, and hence, produce a greater profit for their company at the same time.
The government should not act to restrict content on television. The restriction of the content on television should be left up to the individual watching the program. It is the individuals right to decide if they feel like the program they are watching, or their children are watching, is appropriate enough or not. If parents are worried about children watching TV programming that is not suitable for their age, then they are able to set ‘parental controls’ on the TV which only allows suitable programs to be seen.
If this issue of government restriction on television shows is looked at more closely, we see that content is already somewhat restricted by the TV broadcasting companies themselves. Therefore, there is no need for government intervention. The local channels (NBC, FOX, ABC, CBS, UPN, etc…) already restrict content that they believe is inappropriate. They will bleep out inappropriate words, and cut out extreme forms of violence and sexual behavior from movies and TV shows. They will not show inappropriate material, since their channels are available to everybody for free. The basic cable channels (TNT, TNN, TBS, USA, WGN, etc…) also restrict content that they feel is inappropriate. Although, the basic cable channels show a little more inappropriate activity than the local channels, they still bleep out words, and cut out inappropriate scenes. Their programs are less censored because the viewer has to pay for those channels, and therefore the cable channel companies are able to show a little more inappropriate activity. The premium channels (HBO, SHOWTIME, STARZ, etc…) do not restrict content because the viewer has to pay an additional charge to view these channels. These channels have no restrictions and do not bleep out any inappropriate words, or cut out inappropriate scenes. This form of programming is available for people (at an additional charge) that wish to watch television programming with no restrictions. With these restrictions already in place by television broadcasting companies, we see that there is no need of government intervention.
Looking at the polls, I realized that most of my opinions were the same as the other people who had taken the poll. The public generally feels like that they will make the final decision in deciding where or not content on television is fit to be watched or not. They do not feel it is necessary for the government to intervene and control what the viewers can and cannot watch. Like myself, the voters in the poll also generally seem to think having programming that is to serve the public good should also be put on the air for the viewers benefit.
Regulating television has always been a sensitive issue, and with the trend of growing pop culture and reality shows, the controversy over regulating television will continue to be a debated issue for years to come.