SIDES AIR THEIR VIEWS IN DEBATE OF TELEVISION VIOLENCE

Sledgehammer, blood and guts violence on television is under siege these days.

Critics, ranging from congressmen to housewives, want the television industry to put the brakes on such programming.

Sen. Paul Simon, D-Ill., has given the television industry two months to clean up TV violence or face the threat of federal regulation.

That concerns industry officials, who say such regulation would amount to censorship. They say television violence is not to blame for a violent society. Theatrical violence only mirrors society, they maintain.

Steven Engles, general manager of KBSI, Channel 23 the Fox network affiliate in Cape Girardeau is adamantly opposed to any government regulation of television violence.

"I think it is an infringement on the First Amendment (free speech). I really have a problem with Congress trying to act as big brother, if you will, on television programming," said Engles.

Television, he said, mirrors society. "Quite frankly, the violence in our society has gotten out of hand, especially with the young." But he said TV is not to blame.

TV viewers, he said, criticize television violence but then turn around and watch such programming.

"I think the viewer is talking out of both sides of his mouth," observed Engles. "People will not watch bland programming."

Some in Congress want television sets to be equipped with devices to block out violent programming.

Rita Kuntz believes federal regulation may be the only answer to what she views as the alarming violence on television.

The Cape Girardeau woman is treasurer of the local chapter of the American Family Association, a group that has been critical of sex and violence on television.

"I would like to see the TV industry clean it up themselves, but they won't. They have already shown all they want to do is put a label on it, and that's not good enough," she argued. "If it takes Congress to regulate it, then I am all for it."

Kuntz believes television violence has become too graphic and has "desensitized" people to violence in general.

"Too many of these shows make it look like the way to solve problems is with violence,' said Kuntz, who believes violence like that in the "Terminator" movie is particularly unsuitable for children.

Even good parents can't monitor everything their children watch, said Kuntz, who has three children, ranging in age from 10 to 14.

In addition, there are other parents who simply don't care what their children watch, she said.

"Too many kids are home by themselves or go over to a friend's house and have access to it," she said.

Kuntz said she hopes society will put pressure on the television industry to curtail violent programming just as smoking has become taboo on the tube.

"Back in the '50s and '60s, smoking was acceptable on TV. You even watch old TV shows and everybody smoked. Well, now that has become taboo.

"It became socially unacceptable to make a show with somebody smoking. I would like to see that happen with violence, that it is just not acceptable," she said.

Jim Dufek, assistant professor of mass communications at Southeast Missouri State University and the manager of television operations at the school, said there's clear evidence that exposure to violent programming can lead to violent behavior.

The TV industry is getting a strong message from Congress.

"Congress," said Dufek, "has rattled the saber and said, ~`Do something or we will regulate you.'"

Simon has long been a critic of TV violence. But it's unprecedented that the television industry has now joined the discussion, Dufek said. "I think the industry will try to do something before they are regulated."

Dufek said much of the criticism of television violence is directed at cable programming, which doesn't operate under the same restrictions as broadcast stations.

Dufek believes the first recourse against violent programming is parental supervision of what their children watch. "If you don't like it, shut it off," he advised.

The ultimate power, he said, rests with the viewers. "If the ratings are down, the show goes off. I don't care how violent it is, how graphic it is, if no one is watching, it goes off the air."

Whatever happens, Dufek said viewers shouldn't expect any immediate changes. For one thing, shows for the fall season are already in production.

But Howard Meagle, general manager for KFVS, Channel 12 the CBS affiliate in Cape Girardeau believes the television industry as a whole is being unfairly blamed for violent programs such as the "slasher movies" that are aired on cable television.

"I'm not saying the broadcast networks don't have shows that are intense, but I know of none that have blood spurting out of the neck," he said.

Meagle said he wants to see quality programming on television. "I don't like to see gratuitous violence even on my own network."

But he added that times have changed. The days of "Father Knows Best" programming have long since passed, he said.

"Most of the politicians are, I think, hard-working people, but I always worry about the ones that try to separate themselves from the crowd by pushing these emotional buttons," said Meagle.

"I worry about anybody standing up trying to dictate standards to a community without giving the community a choice," he added.

"I am disappointed that Sen. Simon has decided to use a shotgun instead of a rifle" in his criticism of violence on television, Meagle said.