In the wake of a settlement with the Justice Department, the code was
suspended in 1983.
The Code of Practices for Television Broadcasters was a set of ethical
standards adopted by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)
for television. The code was established on December 6, 1951 and
Compliance with the code was indicated by the "Seal of Good Practice",
displayed during closing credits on most television programs, and on
some TV station sign-on and sign-offs from 1952 through the early
1980s.
The code prohibited the use of profanity, the negative portrayal of family
life, irreverence for God and religion, illicit sex, drunkenness and addiction,
presentation of cruelty, detailed techniques of crime, the use of horror for
its own sake, and the negative portrayal of law enforcement officials,
among others.
The code regulated how performers should dress and move to be within
the "bounds of decency". Further, news reporting was to be "factual, fair
and without bias" and commentary and analysis should be "clearly defined
as such". Broadcasters were to make time available for religious broadcasts
and were discouraged from charging religious bodies for access. The most
important thing, the NAB code limited the commercial minutes per hour.
