Smut ruling emphasizes parents’ role

Tuesday, July 2, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

WHEN the U.S. Supreme Court voided a federal ban on indecent cable television programs last week, it threw the issue back to where it belongs, the nation's parents.

The court tossed out a never-enforced 1992 law on the grounds it would violate free-speech rights. The ruling is certain to spark renewed debate on the issue.

Some religious groups argue that the best way to keep such programming from children is to ban the broadcasts. Opponents insist that imposing moral standards on television shows constitutes unlawful censorship on the entire community. It is arguable whether an entire community should be denied art or educational material because it is inappropriate for younger viewers.

The court's two rulings said the law violated free speech rights and poses a similar fate for a telecommunications bill past in December. That legislation, which was part of a sweeping cable television deregulation bill, imposed a ban on sexually explicit materials transmitted on computer networks.

Keeping inappropriate material from children has become more difficult amid growing complexities in technology. The possibilities for exposure have widened from the TV to cable TV to the computer Internet. That has rightly frustrated many parents who worry about what their children are watching when alone at home.

The increasing use of the television as a baby sitter may be to blame. Unsupervised viewing of shows always poses risks and parents are criticized for not paying attention to their children's activities. But that isn't easy in a world of working parents and latchkey offspring.

Part of the answer may lie in technology. The same legislation to deregulate the cable television industry that passed last year also contained a provision for V-chips in new TVs. That will allow parents to shut out objectionable shows from the screen.

By no means will the court's ruling be the end of the debate. Technology will present other conflicts between free speech and the need to filter information to children.

But, as technology creates ne w conflicts, we're confident the same resources can be used to resolve them. The key, as always, must remain with the parents.