Sponsors of Violent or Crass TV

[Gary Ruskin <gary@essential.org>]

Commercial Alert				August 6, 1999

	Yesterday, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton suggested that parents
consider boycotting sponsors of violent television shows.

	Following is Commercial Alert's news release about the First Lady's
statement:

                       NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:			For More Information Contact:
Friday, August 6, 1999			Gary Ruskin (202) 296-2787

Nader Applauds First Lady's Suggestion That Parents 
Consider Boycotting Sponsors of Violent, Crass TV

	Ralph Nader called on parents to "use your power as consumers to
protect your children" from violent or crass television shows by "trying
to avoid" purchasing products made by corporations that sponsor such TV
shows, following First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's statement yesterday
that parents should "Let people know you're not going to buy products
that support shows and things you don't believe in."

	Nader encouraged political, community and religious leaders to ask
others to listen to the First Lady's advice.  "This is a good idea to
help rebuild a civil society, and to help make America safer for
childhood. It might reduce the sewerage that the TV corporations unleash
upon our nation."

	In a letter on June 22 to Robert Pitofsky, Chairman of the Federal
Trade Commission (FTC), Nader and Gary Ruskin, Director of Commercial
Alert, encouraged the FTC to tally televised acts of violence by show
and sponsor, to assist parents in making choices about whether to buy
from companies that support unwholesome entertainment.

	"The free market is based upon the principle of choice.  Buyers are
supposed to be able to make informed choices about which companies and
products they want to support.  The market doesn't work today in regards
to the marketing of violence to children because parents don't have they
information they need," the letter said.

	"We urge the FTC to fill this gap so that the market can work.  The FTC
could tally the average number of televised violent acts by show and by
sponsor, and publish statistics regarding which shows are the most
violent, and which companies sponsor the most violent TV shows. This
would help parents express their informed preferences in the marketplace
in regards to the networks and sponsors for their violent programming. 
Parents could learn of the most violence-associated brands of peanut
butter, soap, toothpaste, hamburgers, soda, chewing gum, etc., and could
make their purchasing decisions accordingly," the letter said.

	Nader also encouraged parents not to buy violent video games, as did
Ms. Clinton.  He called such games "the product of corporate
predators."  Ms. Clinton said yesterday: "Don't buy those video games,
no matter how much your child begs,'' according to Associated Press.

	Commercial Alert was founded last year to oppose the excesses of
commercialism, advertising and marketing.  More information on how
corporations harm children is available from Commercial Alert's website
at <http://www.essential.org/alert/>, and in the book  Children First: A
Parent's Guide to Corporate Predators.  To obtain a copy, call (202)
387-8030.

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	An Associated Press article about the First Lady's comments is at:
<http://dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/ap/elections/story.html?s=v/ap/19990805/el/mrs_clinton_senate_6.html>.
	
	This week, the American Academy of Pediatrics said that children under
two should not watch television.  The New York Times article on the
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations regarding
television and children is at:
<http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/science/080499hth-children-media.html>

	The AAP news release on television and children is at:
<http://www.aap.org/advocacy/archives/juntele.htm>.

	Ralph Nader and Commercial Alert's letter to the FTC about the
marketing of violent entertainment products to children is at:
<http://www.essential.org/alert/mediaviolence/ftclet.html>.

	For more information about Commercial Alert, see
<http://www.essential.org/alert/>.  For details or ordering information
about Children First: A Parent's Guide to Corporate Predators, see:
<http://www.essential.org/alert/childrenfirst.html>.

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Gary Ruskin | Commercial Alert 
1611 Connecticut Ave. NW Suite #3A | Washington, DC 20009
Phone: (202) 296-2787 | Fax (202) 833-2406
http://www.essential.org/alert/ | mailto:gary@essential.org
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