tion may involve violence regardless of whether or
not such action or threat of action occurs in a realis-
tic or serious context or in a humorous or cartoon
type context.
(2) The term ‘‘programming’’ includes cartoons.
(3) The term ‘‘child’’ or ‘‘children’’ means any
individual or individuals under 18 years of age.
(4) The term ‘‘person’’ shall have the same
meaning given that term under section 602(14) of
the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C.
522(14)).
(5) The term ‘‘cable operator’’ shall have the
same meaning given that term under section 602(4)
of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C.
522(4)).
(6) The term ‘‘cable service’’ shall have the
same meaning given that term under section 602(5)
of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C.
522(5)).
(7) The term ‘‘television or radio broadcast li-
censee’’ means a ‘‘licensee’’ as defined in section
3(c) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C.
153(c)) authorized to engage in television or radio
broadcasting, including independent television broad-
casting.
(8) The term ‘‘franchising authority’’ shall have
the same meaning given that term under section
602(10) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47
U.S.C. 522(10)).
SEC. 4. RULEMAKING REQUIRED.
(a) STANDARDS.—The Federal Communications
Commission shall, within 60 days after the date of the
enactment of this section, initiate a rulemaking proceeding
to prescribe standards applicable to television and radio
broadcast licensees and cable operators providing cable
service under a franchise granted by a franchising author-
ity, requiring such television or radio broadcast licensees
and cable operators, including cable programmers, to re-
duce the broadcasting of all video and audio programming
which contains violence.
(b) FINAL
STANDARDS.—The Commission shall,
within 150 days following the date of the enactment of
this Act, prescribe final standards in accordance with this
section.
SEC. 5. VIOLATIONS.
(a) VIOLATIONS.—If a person violates any rule or
regulation issued or promulgated pursuant to section 3,
the Federal Communications Commission shall, after no-
tice and opportunity for hearing, impose on the person a
civil fine of not more than $5,000. For purposes of this
subsection, each program in violation constitutes a sepa-
rate violation.
(b) INTENTIONAL VIOLATIONS.—If a person inten-
tionally violates any rule or regulation issued or promul-
gated pursuant to section 3, the Federal Communications
Commission shall, after notice and opportunity for hear-
ing, impose on the person a civil fine of not less than
$10,000 or more than $25,000. For purposes of this
subsection, each program in violation constitutes a sepa-
rate violation.
(c) REPEATED VIOLATIONS.—If a person repeatedly
violates any rule or regulation issued or promulgated pur-
suant to section 3, the Federal Communications Commis-
sion shall, after notice and opportunity for hearing, imme-
diately repeal the person’s broadcast license in the case
of a broadcaster, and immediately repeal the person’s sat-
ellite license in the case of the cable operator.
SEC. 6. EXCEPTIONS FOR CERTAIN VIDEO PROGRAMMING.
The Federal Communications Commission may ex-
empt, as public interest requires, certain video and audio
programming from the requirements of section 3, includ-
ing news broadcasts, sporting events, educational pro-
gramming and documentaries.
SEC. 7. CONSIDERATION OF VIOLATIONS IN BROADCAST
LICENSE RENEWAL.
The Federal Communications Commission shall con-
sider, among the elements in its review of an application
for renewal of a television or radio broadcast license, in-
cluding an independent television broadcaster, whether the
licensee has complied with the standards required to be
prescribed under section 3 of this Act.
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