Television Programming and Violence, International

Abstract

Concern about violence on television can be traced back to the earliest days of the medium. The roots of this concern can be found in the unease that has typically been expressed whenever a popular new entertainment medium emerges. Critical reactions occurred in response to the appearance of popular romantic and adventure novels in the nineteenth century and the growing popularity of motion pictures during the first half of the twentieth century. The 1950s witnessed a redirection of public anxieties onto the rapidly spreading medium of television. With the rapid growth in television channels from the early 1990s, with the continued penetration of cable television, the emergence of satellite, and the switch from analog to digital transmissions, attention switched toward provision of enhanced advance information about the content of programs to guide viewers in their choices and to help parents protect their children.