THE VIOLENCE INDEX, A MEASURE OF THE PREVALENCE, RATE AND CHARACTERIZATIONS INVOLVED IN VIOLENT ACTION IN TELEVISION PROGRAMS, AND A VIOLENCE PROFILE, A CLUSTER OF INDICES MEASURING TYPES OF VIOLENCE, WERE USED IN THIS EIGHTH ANNUAL SURVEY OF TELEVISION PROGRAMMING. THE YEAR 1976 SAW AN UNPRECEDENTED JUMP IN THE NUMBER OF VIOLENT EPISODES CUTTING ACROSS PROGRAM CATEGORIES AND TIMES. THE OVERALL VIOLENCE INDEX JUMPED FROM 187 TO 207 FOR THE AMERICAN BROADCASTING COMPANY, FROM 155 TO 181 FOR THE COLUMBIA BROADCASTING SYSTEM INCORPORATED, AND 201 TO 224 FOR THE NATIONAL BROADCASTING COMPANY, THE VIOLENCE PEAKED AT 237, 239, AND 264 FOR THE THREE NETWORKS, RESPECTIVELY, DURING THE CHILDREN'S HOURS ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. THE LEAST VIOLENCE OCCURRED 9:00-11:00 P.M. EASTERN STANDARD TIME: 197, 101, AND 139. THE SO-CALLED 'FAMILY VIEWING TIME' HAD RATINGS OF 207, 181, AND 224. THERE WERE NEARLY TWO MALE KILLERS FOR EVERY MALE KILLED. FOR EVERY FEMALE KILLER ONE WOMAN WAS KILLED. VICTIMS WERE MOST OFTEN CHILDREN, OLD WOMEN, UNMARRIED WOMEN, LOWER CLASS WOMEN, NONWHITES, AND PARTICULARLY NONWHITE WOMEN. EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH RATES OF FATAL VICTIMIZATION ARE BORNE BY THE OLD AND THE POOR, PARTICULARLY AMONG WOMEN. A SURVEY OF THE CONCEPTIONS OF SOCIAL REALITY THAT TELEVISION CULTIVATES IN VIEWERS MAKES UP THE FINAL PORTION OF THE SURVEY. HEAVY VIEWERS REPORTED A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER SENSE OF PERSONAL RISK THAN LIGHT VIEWERS. THIS CONCEPT OF THE WORLD AS MEAN AND VIOLENT WAS NOT AFFECTED BY SEX, AGE, INCOME, EDUCATION, NEWSPAPER READING, AND CHURCH ATTENDANCE. CHILDREN APPEAR TO BE MOST INFLUENCED BY TELEVISION'S PRESENTATION OF REALITY AS THREATENING. BLACKS, AS A WHOLE, DO NOT SHOW THIS ASSOCIATION, ALTHOUGH BLACKS WHO ARE COLLEGE EDUCATED OR WHO HAVE INCOMES OVER $8000 SHOW THE SAME RESPONSE PATTERNS AS WHITES. IN GENERAL, BLACKS SHOW A GENERAL MISTRUST OF THE WORLD WHICH IS MUCH HIGHER THAN WHITES, REGARDLESS OF VIEWING PATTERNS. (GLR)