Fight over Showing Violence on TV

Excerpts from the article follow:

"The State Duma [Russia] is considering a bill that would heavily restrict scenes of violence on television, but which people in the television industry warned could kill the medium. The bill, which taps into the deep-rooted perception in some circles that Western influences are eroding values, would not only prohibit television from showing Hollywood action flicks from 7:00-22:00h, but also everything from boxing matches to terrorist attacks. 'The streams of blood that splash today on the screens are destructive for the subtle psyches of children,' said the bill's sponsor, Deputy Andrei Skoch of the United Russia party. 'Society must have reasonable restrictions that protect our children from non-children fare.' The Duma's Information Policy Committee opposed the bill, but deputies still unanimously passed it in a first reading. A raft of amendments is expected before the bill comes up for a second reading, but the unanimous vote the first time around has set off alarm bells among television executives and media analysts alike..."