Fcc Chairman Backs Revival Of TV Family Hour

In a break with the White House, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Reed Hundt on Wednesday endorsed legislation calling on the television neworks to reinstitute their old code of conduct, which included an early-evening family hour free of racy and violent programming.

Broadcasters protested that their recent agreement to adopt a new system of rating television programs for sex, violence, foul language and suggestive dialogue should immunize them from such legislation. The deal with children’s groups and key congressmen included a moratorium on legislation about television ratings and content.

But, noting that the public “increasingly is expressing its concerns about the content - and lack of content - of certain kinds of (TV) programming,” Hundt told a congressional hearing he “enthusiastically” supports the television measure.