Media Groups Talk Parental Tools for Addressing Violent Content

Media trade group heads issued a joint statement late
Thursday following their meeting with Vice President Joe Biden on the issue of
gun violence and it sounded like the meeting squared with their expectations of
a conversation rather than an accusation.

"The entertainment community appreciates being included in
the dialogue around the Administration's efforts to confront the complex
challenge of gun violence in America," they said. "This industry has
a longstanding commitment to provide parents the tools necessary to make the
right viewing decisions for their families. We welcome the opportunity to share
that history and look forward to doing our part to seek meaningful solutions."

There was no pool coverage, but according to source speaking
on background, the meeting was being viewed from the media side as the
beginning of a conversation about what the federal government can do about gun
violence and what input the entertainment industry can provide about what, if
any, impact media violence has on behavior, as well as how the industry
provides education and awareness about entertainment content -- ratings, parental
controls.

The statement was issued by the Directors Guild of America,
Independent Film & Television Alliance, Motion Picture Association of
America, NAB, National Association of Theatre Owners and NCTA.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.