Viewer Attitudes toward Television Advisory Warnings.

Network policy, for the past several years, has been to preface many controversial programs with a general advisory warning that "this material may not be suitable for all family members." A random sample of the general public was surveyed in order to determine the usefulness of the current warning system. Only one-fourth of the adult respondents use the warnings to alter their own viewing; however, over 50% of the respondents with children use them to alter their children's viewing. Violence is perceived as the content most in need of advisory warnings. The main finding of this study is a desire for more "specific naming of program content" (57%), a smaller desire for a "number or letter rating" system (21%), and little desire for the current general warning system (16%). (Author/AA)