Archive Index: December 2005
Archive: December 2005
Fight to Give Parents Control Over Ultraviolent Content Will Continue in California
Citing concerns that certain labeling restrictions in the legislation raised First Amendment questions, Judge Ronald Whyte on Wednesday issued a preliminary injunction against the ultraviolent video game law that had passed through California’s legislature with wide bipartisan support.
This is an unfortunate, but minor, development in California’s fight to give parents more control over what kinds of video games their kids have ready access to.
Media Savvy Resolutions for 2006
It’s that time again. As the close of this year approaches and 2006 looms on the horizon, many of us are going through that December tradition of reflection and resolution. We asked the Common Sense staff to think of media resolutions for parents this season. Below are some of their ideas. Read them, think about them…and most importantly, send us your own:
Clinton, Lieberman and Bayh's Game Bill is About Sanity, Not Censorship
This morning, Common Sense Media’s Washington Director April Delaney joined Senators Hillary Clinton, Joseph Lieberman and Evan Bayh at a press conference announcing the introduction of the Family Entertainment Protection Act, a bill that would restrict the sale of ultra violent and sexually explicit video games to minors.
Common Sense has worked closely with the Senators on this federal legislation for a simple reason: video game violence is a public health concern for kids and families.
Senators Formally Introduce Federal Violent Video Game Bill
U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton, Joseph Lieberman and Evan Bayh formally introduced the Family Entertainment Protection Act at a press conference on Friday, calling for tighter regulation on the sale of ultra violent and sexually explicit video games to kids. The act calls for a prohibition on sales of Mature and Adults Only-rated games to minors, an annual analysis of the ERSB’s rating system, and an annual audit of video game retailers.
Cable Industry Move Will Give Parents More Control
At a hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee on Monday, representatives of the cable industry announced that several major cable operators were planning to offer family-friendly channel packages to their customers in response to concerns raised by a host of organizations across the country.
This is very good news for America’s kids and families. The new family tiers will help give parents more control over the channels that come into their homes. As the father of four, I know how frustrating it can be to see one of my kids flip past a racy video on MTV when they are trying to get a positive kids show on Nick or the Disney Channel. The family tiers, which will likely be made available in early to mid 2006, simply give parents more consumer choice. It’s a common sense move to improve the media environment for America’s families, and we applaud the industry’s decision.
