FTC probes entertainment industry's sale of violence to kids

The Freedom Forum Online staff,The Associated Press

04.27.00

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The Federal Trade Commission is studying whether the entertainment industry is hard-selling violence to kids.

The move is part of the FTC's almost yearlong investigation into the industry's marketing practices, which President Clinton ordered in the wake of the April 20, 1999, massacre at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Federal investigators are asking the major studios to turn over media and marketing plans for certain movies to determine whether the entertainment industry is peddling violent fare to young audiences." Reporters David Finnigan and Brooks Boliek called it "an informal investigation seeking voluntary involvement of those questioned."

Eric D. London, FTC public-affairs director, told The Freedom Forum Online that the agency's effort was "a study to look at age-restricted violent entertainment material."

"It's a fact-finding, not an investigation of lawbreaking," London said. "We're examining the self-regulation put in place by the entertainment industry to see if it works and how it works." The FTC staff conducting the study are attorneys, he said.

"The question is, 'Is self-regulation working?'," said London, who added that FTC staff planned to release a report to Clinton and Congress in late summer.

London declined to characterize specifics of the FTC study or the materials being submitted by entertainment studios, except to confirm that the submissions were voluntary. According to The Hollywood Reporter, "stacks of boxes of evidence have been turned over to the FTC." Studio executives and trade association staffers declined to discuss the probe.

According to its Web site, the FTC is studying:

1. "The voluntary systems used by industry members to rate or designate violent content within three industry groups — movies, recordings, and video or computer games."

2. "How industry members market or advertise movies, recordings, and video or computer games with violent content."

3. "Whether industry members have policies or procedures to restrict access to movies, recordings, and video or computer games with violent content.

The FTC Web site says "60-75 members of the entertainment industry" were asked to submit information on topics including:

• How much "rated or labeled" material the entertainment companies sell, as well as "viewing, listening, renting, or buying preferences of children under 18" and details on "the target audiences and actual audiences for certain products rated or labeled."

• How companies go about rating or labeling their games, movies and other products under voluntary entertainment-industry guidelines.

• Under what circumstances a company "will edit or modify a product to avoid receiving a particular rating or label, including specific examples where products were so modified."

• "How industry members market and advertise products that have been rated or labeled, including, for certain specified products, internal marketing plans, actual advertisements and ad dissemination schedules, trailers, demos and other materials used to promote the specified products."

• "Voluntary standards or guidelines used" in creating and placing advertising for entertainment products, including demographic information companies collect.

• Internet advertising or marketing of rated or labeled products, and the ages of those who visit companies' Web sites.

• "Media policies for acceptance of advertisements."

• Sales practices that would "limit the sale, rental, or viewing of products rated or labeled," including in-store placement, whether the items are sold online and to people of what ages, and how well such policies work.

The FTC has no specific law enforcement powers, but if its informal investigations become formal, it can subpoena witnesses and levy fines against companies not in compliance with federal trade laws. Such efforts as the FTC's often worry free-speech advocates who fear the potential for government encroachment on protected expression.

Last month, the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing on video game violence that game-making industry leaders declined to attend.

The Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention donated at least $250,000 to its joint study with the FTC of entertainment marketing.

The FTC probe comes in a presidential election year filled with debate about media violence. A proposed Senate gun-control bill would bar excessively violent movies and TV shows from filming on federal land, and there has been a call for a National Institutes of Health study on how kids are affected by violent music and video games.