On April 3, 1995, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced a Public Hearing on Violence in Television Programming to seek comments and suggestions, both from the industry and the general public, on approaches to the issue of television violence - particularly as it affects children.

Before the Oct. 11 hearing in Hull, the CRTC held regional consultations across Canada. It received 232 written submissions, and more than a hundred individuals and organizations presented at the regional consultations. Thirty-five parties appeared at the public hearing in Hull.

The main questions asked at the hearing were:

• Can violence on television be controlled entirely through industry self-regulation?
• Do consumers have an easy and effective way to make their views and complaints known?
• How can we protect children from violent programming while not limiting the program creators' freedom of expression or the rights of adult viewers to have full access to adult programming?
• What role does media literacy play in diminishing the negative impact of violent programming on children and adults?
• Should the CRTC use its power to force the blocking of certain programs containing violence? Should parents and individuals make the decision about what is blocked out in their homes, with the help of new technologies like the V-chip?
• Should there be a classification system for television programs? Who should develop such a system - the program producers, the broadcasters, the cable companies or the CRTC?

For more information on the CRTC Hearing on Violence in Television Programming see the right hand sidebar.