59% of Adults Think There is Too Much Profanity, Sexual Content and Violence on TV 

 
Rasmussen Reports: Fifty-nine percent (59%) of adults think there is too much profanity, sexual content and violence on TV and radio today, and more Americans than ever believe the Federal Communications Commission should be empowered to control that content.

Forty-nine percent (49%) of adults, in fact, say they are less likely to watch a television program after seeing such a warning. Twenty-two percent (22%) are more likely to keep watching after such a warning, while 24% say it has no impact on their viewing decisions. These results, too, are similar to those measured in 2010.

The survey of 1,000 American Adults nationwide was conducted on January 10-11, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC.

When asked who is responsible for the level of objectionable content on television, Americans are putting slightly more on the makers of the programs themselves. Thirty percent (30%) feel the makers of the TV shows are primarily responsible, while 27% name those who actually watch the programs. Twenty-one percent (21%) say the networks are responsible for the level of objectionable content, while just 12% name advertisers. Eleven percent (11%) are not sure.

Fifty-three percent (53%) believe protecting children from indecency is more important than freedom of speech, showing little change from 2010. Forty-one percent (41%) believe protecting freedom of speech is more important.

Adults who have children living at home with them are more likely than those who don’t to say current TV ratings are sufficient and that they are less likely to watch a program because of them. They're also more likely to believe protecting children from indecency is more important than freedom of speech. Adults without children at home are evenly divided on the latter question.
 
Adults over 40 are more likely than younger adults to say a warning would make them less likely to watch a television program.

Most adults who watch TV every day or nearly every day feel that protecting children from indecency is more important than protecting freedom of speech.
 
View the original publication here



Rasmussen Reports is a media company specializing in the collection, publication and distribution of public opinion information.
The survey of 1,000 Adults was conducted on February 3-4, 2012 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC.