Ernest F. “Fritz” Hollings, the South Carolina Senator who served six phrases and had a number of high-profile battles over limiting tv, movie and music content material, has died. He was 97 and handed at the moment, based on household spokesman Andy Brack.
A former presidential candidate, the Democrat Senator had an extended historical past with Hollywood and the leisure business on the whole, most of them boiling all the way down to requires restrictions on First Amendment points.
Hollings co-sponsored the Children’s Protection from Violent Programming Act of 1993, which might have banned the published or cable transmission of violent programming throughout hours when kids make up a considerable share of the viewers.
He additionally supported a invoice that would drive makers of computing and communications gear to put in copy-protection know-how that might have made it unimaginable for gadgets to document, play or transmit copyrighted materials, backing a studio-driven initiative.
Most notably, Hollings was on the forefront of Senate hearings on the Parents Music Resource Center’s name for warning labels on document albums. He referred to as on Congress to guard the “tender young ears of this nation from this rock porn.”
He retired from the Senate in 2005 as one of many final of the old-time Southern Democrats after serving simply over 38 years, making him the eighth-longest-serving US Senator. He chaired the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and held seats on the Appropriations and Budget committees.
Beyond his efforts to limit content material, Hollings was identified for his work on starvation and was a frontrunner in desegregation efforts in his native state.
No particulars have been introduced on a memorial service.
