Fox Tops Tally of Violence on Major TV Networks : Media: Study of a week of prime-time shows also lists ‘Brisco County’ as bloodiest series. Senator wants FCC to issue report card, name sponsors.

WASHINGTON — The Fox Television Network carried more violent programs in one week than any of the other three major networks, according to a study of television violence released Friday by Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.).

The survey also identified the 10 most violent prime-time programs during the week of Sept. 28 to Oct. 4. At the top of the list were “The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.” and “Out on a Limb,” both on Fox, and “Beverly Hills Cop” on ABC.

Dorgan has introduced a bill to require the Federal Communications Commission to publish a quarterly report listing the most violent shows on network television and their commercial sponsors. He touted the study as a model for how the FCC would conduct its work.

The survey was based on research by students at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., who used a definition of violence developed by the National Coalition on Television Violence, a watchdog group.

Acts defined as violent ranged from shootings to fistfights to assaults with sticks or other makeshift weapons.

Network executives challenged the findings, contending that the criteria were too subjective.

“This kind of study shows the difficulty and the danger of any attempt to quantify television violence,” said Preston Hadden, senior vice president of News Corp., which owns the Fox television network.

Another industry spokesman, who asked not to be named, said: “The survey failed to take into account the nature of the violence, the plot, the overall context.”

According to the survey, ABC had the second-highest number of violent programs during prime-time, 7-10 p.m., followed by NBC and CBS.

Other programs on the top 10 list: “Walker: Texas Ranger” on CBS, “Daddy Dearest” on Fox, “In Living Color” on Fox, “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” shown locally on KCOP, “In the Shadows” on NBC, “Unsolved Mysteries” on NBC and “Thea” on ABC.

The survey identified the sponsors of the programs as Pepsico, McDonald’s, American Express, Ford, Procter & Gamble, General Mills, Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, William Wrigley Jr. Co., and Nabisco/Nestle.

Speaking at a news conference, Dorgan said that his bill is not intended to regulate or censor television shows but to provide more information to consumers.

“I propose giving parents greater knowledge of and control over what their children see on television,” he said.

Nonetheless, the study’s findings come at a time when some lawmakers are stepping up their efforts to pass laws that would restrict violent television programming.

Nine bills have been introduced in Congress aimed at accomplishing that task, and the Clinton Administration has indicated that it will support such measures if the entertainment industry does not voluntarily reduce violent programming.