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The four broadcast television networks all have promotion departments that prepare an enormous amount of material to advertise their programming. Not all of the promotional material ends up airing during network-controlled time. The network also sends promotions for its programming to the local affiliates. A network is comprised of several local stations that the network owns (in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, all the network stations are owned by the network) and approximately 195 independent stations that affiliate with the network.
During the time they control, the networks set their own practices and standards for what promos can appear at what times and on what shows. The affiliates, however, are given a small amount of prime time by the networks to advertise and promote their own shows and much more time in other parts of the day to do the same. Many times it is the affiliate that will schedule a violent promo in a non-violent time slot. When this is done it is impossible for the average viewer to discern whether it was the network or the local station that made the decision.
Networks frequently get blamed for the decisions of the affiliates. Few viewers can tell the difference and, in the larger scheme of things, to most of them it does not make a difference. It is the affiliates who schedule some of the promos just as it is the affiliates who schedule adult talk shows during after-school hours. It is much easier to control something when only four large corporations are responsible. However, when the responsibility is spread over hundreds of large and small stations, the ability to take corrective action is much more difficult.
Since it is the networks that are being held responsible for the promo scheduling of the affiliates, it is in their best interest to deal with this problem. Each Spring, the affiliates come to Los Angeles to discuss successes and problems of the networks and to preview the fall programming. This issue of scheduling network promotions is an important concern and should be addressed at the next affiliate meetings.
The television networks frequently run spots talking about alternatives to violence. NBC has run its "The more you know" for several years, and Fox has been running its "Under the helmet" spots.
There is no clear evidence that these spots are effective. But, more importantly, there is no clear evidence that they are not. They are expensive to produce and replace network time that could be sold to advertisers. They are not the solutions to the problem of violence on television, but they do perform an important public service. Their presence should not take the heat off the networks on the issue of violence. But the networks should be commended for these campaigns.
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