TV's 'family hour' not family friendly

Posted at the Baptist Press.

The so-called television "family hour," it turns out, is not so family friendly.

A new study by the Parents Television Council shows that a program broadcast during the first hour of TV's prime time -- often called the family hour -- has an average of 12.48 instances of foul language and sexual and violent content. That's an average of one objectionable moment every 3.5 minutes, not counting the commercials, the study said.

And it's getting worse. Since 2000-01, the last time a similar study was conducted, sexual content has increased 22.1 percent and violent content 52.4 percent.

Traditionally, the networks have broadcast their less objectionable programs between 8 and 9 p.m. Eastern time, when children are more likely to be watching. In fact, the worst family hour offender last season was a cartoon, Fox's "American Dad," which had an average of 52 objectionable moments an hour.

More than three-fourths (76.4 percent) of all family hour programming had foul language, while 54.8 percent contained sexual content and 46.2 percent had violent content, the study said. Only 10.6 percent of all family hour programming had no objectionable content.

"The entertainment industry is intent on producing programming that appeals to our baser instincts," said Dwayne Hastings, a spokesman for the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. "There is very little on network TV, including during the family hour, that is edifying."

"Only 10.6 percent of all family hour programming had no objectionable content." Again, that's "family hour programming". It goes downhill from there and that's NOT counting commercials, which is by far the worst thing on TV for children. What are you allowing into your child's heart and mind by letting them vegetate in front of the TV either with or without you.