Family Hour Least Diverse

[Freakapotimus]

Tuesday May 1 3:07 AM ET
TV 'Family Hour' Least Racially Diverse-Study

OAKLAND, Calif. (Reuters) - The early evening ``family hour'' features the least racially diverse programming on U.S. network television, with shows dominated by white males and minority characters frequently depicted as police officers, domestic workers or unskilled laborers, according to a study released on Tuesday.

``As America's primary cultural storyteller, television creates a common picture of who's important and who's not,'' said Lois Salisbury, president of Children Now, the Oakland, Calif.-based group that commissioned the study.

``Prime time programmers appear to have forgotten that America's children -- in all of their diversity -- are a big part of the viewing audience.''

The Children Now survey examined the first two episodes of each prime time entertainment series airing in Fall 2000 on the six major U.S. broadcast networks -- ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, UPN and The WB.

It found that the 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. ``family hour'' was the least racially diverse on television, with only one in eight programs featuring a racially mixed principal cast.

By 10 p.m., when few children are watching, about two-thirds of the shows had racially mixed casts, the study said -- a message on diversity that is failing to reach television's youngest viewers.

``Having inclusive casting and programming is win-win, and the networks clearly see this with later (programs). But we are left with the poignant irony that when children, the most diverse segment of the population, are watching the most, television at its least diverse.''

Reacting to pressure from the NAACP and other groups, a number of major U.S. networks including NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox announced in early 2000 that they were drawing up ``diversity strategies'', appointing executives and forming committees to boost minority presence both behind the scenes and the air.

Only Marginal Improvements Made

But the Children Now study, the organization's second annual look at race on U.S. television, found that despite these commitments only marginal improvements had been made over the past year when it comes to programs viewed by children.

Latino characters featured on the prime time shows surveyed actually decreased to 2 percent of the total characters from 3 percent last year -- this despite the fact that Latinos make up 12 percent of the national population, according to U.S. Census figures.

There were only five American Indian characters out of a total prime time population of 2,251, while gay and lesbian characters comprised less than two percent of the total and were found primarily in comedies.

The television season featured only 12 characters displaying some sort of disability -- half as many as last season -- and most of these were white and male.

Situation comedies, the most popular television genre among children, were also the least racially diverse, the study said. Only 14 percent of sitcoms had racially mixed casts.

Television programs are also delivering clear messages to children about race, class and status in America, Salisbury said.

White characters were more likely than black ones to be shown in professional business jobs, whereas black characters were more likely to be shown as law enforcement officers.

While both white and black characters appear with roughly equal frequency as physicians, attorneys, and in service, retail or restaurant positions, only minority characters were portrayed as domestic workers and unskilled laborers.

``Prime time is the single biggest part of (children's') television diet, and what kids get from the mass medium is a sense of recognition, respect, and roll models -- or they don't,'' Salisbury said. ``In this sense many of America's kids are finding people like them invisible, or cast in very limited ways.''

[kurten]

Yes, let's stop being such racists and make sure to judge shows by the numbers of different-colored people. If they only put in a few more minorities, kids would stop thinking in terms of race, instantly.

That was my sarcastic reply. Here's a normal one:

The census just confirmed that whites are minorities in most major cities. So isn't showing mainly white characters doing what the article suggests?

[shorbe]

The stupidity of these surveys never ceases to amaze me. These shows are by their very nature fictional. I don't see that they have any obligation to be accurate about anything. They're just supposed to be funny. If people laugh, that's what they want. They want people to relate in a loose sort of way.

If people want accuracy, they'll watch a documentary or read a book.

That having been said, portraying most minorities as being really successful, etc simply isn't accurate. If people really want accuracy, they'll show that a) most minorities aren't rich, and don't have great jobs, and b) rich, successful whites associate with...wait for it...rich, successful whites.

All this comes back to viewer audience and thus, money. Television programmes make their money from advertising mainly. Who has the most disposable income in America? White people. Middle to upper class, suburban, educated, well employed white people. Therefore, logically, advertising companies are going to pitch to such audiences. To attract such audiences, TV stations have to cater to them. Thus, they'll make shows about, well...middle to upper class, suburban, educated, well employed white people. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that.

Of course, there may be a niche audience for minorities, but why would a major network risk losing the bread and butter by showing minorities? That's why perhaps the time is right for a "black" station. How many white people are going to tune into an all black show, or even a show with an even distribution of blacks? None of course. They don't have black friends. All their friends are like the characters on Friends, which is why that show is so popular.

Yet another example of where PC misses the boat entirely.

shorbe

[Mos]

At 5/5/01 02:13 AM, shorbe wrote: The stupidity of these surveys never ceases to amaze me. These shows are by their very nature fictional. I don't see that they have any obligation to be accurate about anything. They're just supposed to be funny. If people laugh, that's what they want. They want people to relate in a loose sort of way.

If people want accuracy, they'll watch a documentary or read a book.

That having been said, portraying most minorities as being really successful, etc simply isn't accurate. If people really want accuracy, they'll show that a) most minorities aren't rich, and don't have great jobs, and b) rich, successful whites associate with...wait for it...rich, successful whites.

All this comes back to viewer audience and thus, money. Television programmes make their money from advertising mainly. Who has the most disposable income in America? White people. Middle to upper class, suburban, educated, well employed white people. Therefore, logically, advertising companies are going to pitch to such audiences. To attract such audiences, TV stations have to cater to them. Thus, they'll make shows about, well...middle to upper class, suburban, educated, well employed white people. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that.

Of course, there may be a niche audience for minorities, but why would a major network risk losing the bread and butter by showing minorities? That's why perhaps the time is right for a "black" station. How many white people are going to tune into an all black show, or even a show with an even distribution of blacks? None of course. They don't have black friends. All their friends are like the characters on Friends, which is why that show is so popular.

Yet another example of where PC misses the boat entirely.

shorbe

There are a lot of black-only shows, and that always annoys me. It seems like the black-only shows have 100% of the main characters black, while only 1% of the guest characters are white. They AVOID casting white actors/actresses.

At least in shows where the cast is predominantly white, they have plenty of black characters. (The exception of this would have to be the Simpsons, where the entire cast is yellow, rather than black and/or white.)

[Slizor]

At least in shows where the cast is predominantly white, they have plenty of black characters. (The exception of this would have to be the Simpsons, where the entire cast is yellow, rather than black and/or white.)

Apu is "black" so is Dr Hibbert, Mandula, his 8 children, One of the police men and Lennie. I can't remeber any more but they aren't all yellow