Sen. Paul Simon (D-Makanda) announced last week at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing that the results of the first independent audit of broadcast television will be released on September 12.

An extension of the Television Violence Act, authored by Simon, allowed the audit conducted by CBS, Fox, NBC and ABC in collaboration with the UCLA Center for Communication Policy. The Television Violence Act is a three-year anti-trust exemption that began in 1990 which allowed the television industry to regulate itself through joint action between the networks.

Simon’s press secretary, David Carle, said the audits will cover most network programming. News magazines, feature movies, documentaries, talk shows, music videos, comedy series and children’s programs are all examined to determine if their content glamorizes violence. Some items, such as nightly news broadcasts, are not included in the audit. The programs will be rated for the amount of glamorized violence they contain.

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Carle said a similar audit will be

see SIMON, page 5