ROSEMARY CHURCH, WORLD NEWS: The potential influence of network television has been debated for decades. Now a group has published a study on rates of violence and sexual content over the last 10 years. CNN's Skip Loescher has the details.</s>SKIP LOESCHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): While incidents of violence on prime time network television stayed about the same from 1989 to 1999, instances of sex and coarse language soared, according to a new report from the media watchdog group Parents Television Council.</s>BRENT BOZELL, PARENTS TELEVISION COUNCIL: What a difference a decade makes. It finds network television content standards in a complete free fall.</s>LOESCHER: The council has been pushing for a return to family hour programming that is G-rated. It concludes broadcast television in many cases is not suitable for viewing by a broad public audience.</s>BOZELL: Words that were never heard on prime time television have now become acceptable.</s>LOESCHER: The 10-year comparison shows a marked increase in sexual dialogue, seven times more frequent last year than it was a decade before. (</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "DAWSON'S CREEK") UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mind-altering sex.</s>LOESCHER: Further, the overall use of what the council calls profane language has skyrocketed over 500 percent since 1989. The council claims the networks are using sex, language and violence to pull in viewers. Comedian Steve Allen.</s>STEVE ALLEN, COMEDIAN: Of course there's a market for it. And that's a very disturbing fact.</s>LOESCHER: But the council says change is possible if enough people put pressure on the broadcast networks.</s>BOZELL: Clean up TV now. It's not something we are requesting. It's something we're demanding.</s>LOESCHER: Skip Loescher, CNN, Washington.
Media Watchdog Group Reports On TV Influence