Sailing Toward Safe Harbor Hours: The Constitutionality of Regulating Television Violence

Authors

Eric C. Chaffee

Abstract

Because of the recent focus on television violence, it is more a question of 'when,' rather than 'if,' Congress will take action on this issue. 'Safe harbor' regulation, or restricting violent programming to certain hours of the day, is one form of regulation that is recurrently suggested as a means for dealing with the potential ills created by television violence. The possibility of such regulation implicates numerous constitutional issues. This Article addresses whether 'safe harbor' regulation of television violence is feasible without violating the First Amendment and other provisions of the Constitution.

Keywords

Constitution, Constitutional Law, FCC, Federal Communications Commission, First Amendment, Pacifica, Safe Harbor, Television, TV, Violence

Publication Date

2005

Document Type

Article

Publication Information

39 University of Michigan Journal of Legal Reform 1 (2005)

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