Bill Clinton: “Let me begin by saying that, as all of you know, that the Vice President and Secretary Riley and members of the White…”

“Let me begin by saying that, as all of you know, that the Vice President and Secretary Riley and members of the White House staff and I have just met with Jack Valenti and Eddie Fritts and Decker Anstrom. I want to thank the industry leaders for the television rating system which they have proposed today. Earlier this year, in February, I asked them to do this. They said that they would and that they would do it by January 1st. They are on time, and they have done what they said they would do. And they are going to give America's families more help in choosing appropriate television programming for their children. Now, it is now appropriate to say that it is the personal responsibility of the family, first of all, to make use of this system. In a year, you know, the new televisions will have these V-chips, but for right now there will be other ways that the industry will work to make available the information to parents. They have to use it. They have to evaluate it, and then they have to communicate back to the industry how they feel. Do they like it; do they not like it; where is it inadequate; what suggestions they have for changes. As this system is implemented, the ball will plainly be in the court of the parents of America to make the most of this and to actually give feedback about it. I would also like to say that at the request of the Vice President, the industry has agreed to make a systematic effort to get the continuous parental input and evaluation so that they will know how this system is going down, to what extent it's being used, and how it's being received by the parents of this country. So I feel that this is a very important step forward. Over the next several months the industry has agreed that they will review their findings and the reactions to what they're doing. I think that's a very positive thing. And I want to thank the Vice President for what he has done and ask him to say a word or two. And then if you have any questions, we'll try to answer them. [At this point, the Vice President made brief remarks.]”