CBS Exec Nina Tassler Defends Criminal Minds Against Criticisms Of Excessive Violence

A month after the shooting at Sandy Hook in Newtown, Connecticut, the ripples continue to spread.

This time, the CBS network has come under fire on the topic of onscreen violence. Their programming, featuring mainly criminal drama and crime shows in general, has raised some concerns over brutality in the media. However, during the Television Critics Association press tour, entertainment chief Nina Tassler defended the network, saying that execs were sensitive towards these types of concerns. According to the Associated Press, Tassler stated that, while the shows on CBS do feature some violence, the paradigm is that the good guy always wins and the bad guy goes to jail.

In her statement, Tassler vehemently defended the CBS show “Criminal Minds”, saying that it was unfair of NBC exec Robert Greenblatt to single out the programme. She also admitted that it wasn’t a show for kids. Of course, these types of shows do exist and debates like this one raise the question of whether TV violence is the sole culprit behind real-life brutality and whether cancelling shows like 'Criminal Minds' would actually change anything. Coming from an executive at a rival network, these criticisms do sound a bit hollow and self serving and one has to wonder – did Greenblatt really have just the safety of children in mind when he made the comment?