Parents Television Empowerment Act of 1996

Summary: Parents Television Empowerment Act of 1996 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a toll-free number for the collection of public comments, suggestions, and complaints (comments) concerning the transmission by broadcast stations or cable systems of programming containing depictions of violence and other patently offensive material.  Requires the FCC to:  (1) publicize such number and the FCC's functions under this Act; (2) publish a summary of comments received in the Federal Register quarterly; (3) transcribe such comments; (4) transmit to each licensee any comments made concerning its station; (5) make such comments available for public inspection; (6) omit from any records transmitted or made available the name and address of any caller requesting confidentiality; and (7) include an analysis of such comments in an annual report to the Congress.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Parents Television Empowerment Act 
of 1996''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) The average American child watches 8,000 murders and 
        100,000 acts of violence on television before finishing 
        elementary school.
            (2) Many of the poorest and potentially most vulnerable 
        groups in our society are the heaviest viewers of television.
            (3) Television violence is often presented without context 
        or judgment as to its acceptability.
            (4) Most of the violence on television is presented during 
        times when children are likely to be viewing.
            (5) The 1972 Surgeon General's Report, Television and 
        Growing Up: The Impact of Televised Violence, found that there 
        was a significant and consistent correlation between television 
        viewing and aggressive behavior and a direct, causal link 
        between exposure to televised violence and subsequent 
        aggressive behavior on the part of the viewer.
            (6) The 1982 National Institute of Mental Health report, 
        Television and Behavior: Ten Years of Scientific Progress and 
        Implications for the Eighties, found that ``violence on 
        television does lead to aggressive behavior by children and 
        teenagers who watch the programs,'' and that some viewers learn 
        to be passive victims.
            (7) Numerous other studies establish a causal connection 
        between watching violence on television and increasingly 
        violent behavior of children.
            (8) There has been a proliferation of television talk shows 
        that, in a race for ratings, air ever more outrageous programs 
        dealing with rape, incest, and other sensitive topics in a 
        manner that seeks to sensationalize and shock rather than 
        educate and inform. Although the impact on the hundreds of 
        thousands of children who view these programs has yet to be 
        fully documented, the programs have raised strong concerns 
        among psychologists.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENT.

    Title VII of the Communications Act of 1934 is amended by adding at 
the end the following new section:

``SEC. 714. COMPILATION AND PUBLICATION OF COMPLAINTS CONCERNING 
              VIOLENT PROGRAMMING.

    ``(a) Establishment of Facility for the Collection of Comments and 
Complaints.--The Commission shall, within 6 months after the date of 
enactment of this section, establish a toll-free number for the 
collection of comments, suggestions, and complaints from the public 
concerning the transmission by broadcast stations or cable systems of 
programming containing depictions of violence and other patently 
offensive material. The Commission shall take such steps as may be 
necessary to publicize such number and the Commission's functions under 
this section.
    ``(b) Publication of Data Concerning Complaints.--The Commission 
shall publish in the Federal Register, on a quarterly basis, a summary 
of the comments, suggestions, and complaints received pursuant to 
subsection (a) during the preceding period. Such summary shall 
include--
            ``(1) a breakdown of the complaints by broadcast or cable 
        network and broadcast station, and by program name, date, and 
        time;
            ``(2) an identification, with respect to the 50 programs 
        for which the highest number of complaints were received, of 
        the production company, the principal advertisers supporting 
        network distribution, the broadcast or cable network and 
        broadcast station, and the program name, date, and time; and
            ``(3) a statement of observed trends in such complaints as 
        compared with complaints received during prior periods.
    ``(c) Availability of Records.--The Commission shall transcribe the 
comments, suggestions, and complaints received pursuant to this section 
and shall--
            ``(1) transmit to each licensee any comments, suggestions, 
        or complaints made with respect to its station; and
            ``(2) make the transcribed comments, suggestions, and 
        complaints available for public inspection.
The Commission shall omit from any records transmitted or made 
available under this subsection the name and address of any caller 
requesting confidentiality.
    ``(d) Report to Congress.--The Commission shall include in each 
annual report to Congress under section 4(k) an analysis of the 
complaints received pursuant to this section. Such analysis shall 
include--
            ``(1) an evaluation of whether, consistent with its 
        obligations to serve the public interest and meet the 
        educational and informational need of children, the 
        broadcasting industry has effectively responded to the 
        comments, suggestions, and complaints received pursuant to this 
        section regarding video programming containing depictions of 
        violence and other patently offensive material; and
            ``(2) such recommendations as the Commission considers 
        appropriate to secure more conscientious fulfillment of those 
        obligations with regard to such programming.''.