2011 Network Responsibility Index
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celebrating 25 years nri 2011 network responsibility index glaad network responsibility index 2011 Page 1 nri table of contents 3-5..........Executive Summary 6-7..........ABC 8-9..........CBS 10-11......The CW 12-13......Fox 14-15......NBC 16-17......ABC Family 18-19......A&E 20-21......AMC 22-23......FX 24-25......HBO 26-27......Showtime 28-29......SyFy 30-31......TBS 32-33......TNT 34-35......USA 36-37......Additional Cable Overview 38...........GLAAD’s Entertainment Media Team Page 2 glaad network responsibility index 2011 For the purpose of this report, each EXECUTIVE representation of an LGBT person, or significant discussion of an LGBT issue, during the course of an hour counts as one ‘impression.’ If one nri LGBT character appeared on 12 episodes, for SUMMARY example, this character made 12 impressions. The GLAAD Network Responsibility Index (NRI) p.m. Eastern and Pacific (10:00 Central and If a single episode addressed marriage is an evaluation of the quantity and quality of Mountain), Monday through Saturday. On equality, for example, in a secondary storyline, images of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgen- Sunday, primetime begins at 7:00 p.m. East- it was counted as one minor ‘impression.’ der (LGBT) people on television. It is intended ern and Pacific (6:00 Central and Mountain). Based on the overall quantity, quality and to serve as a road map toward increasing fair, Fox and The CW do not air network program- diversity of LGBT representations, a grade was accurate and inclusive LGBT media represen- ming during the last hour of primetime, nor assigned to each network: Excellent, Good, tations. does The CW air programming on weekends. Adequate, or Failing. GLAAD does not track primetime broadcast GLAAD has seen time and again how images hours programmed by local affiliate stations; of multi-dimensional gay and transgender only hours of national broadcast. Ranking of the Broadcast Networks, people on television have the power to change 2010-2011 public perceptions. The Pulse of Equality Sur- The 10 cable networks examined for the Listed by percentage of LGBT-inclusive hours of vey, commissioned by GLAAD and conducted 2010-2011 report include ABC Family, A&E, primetime programming by Harris Interactive, confirmed a growing AMC, FX, HBO, Showtime, Syfy, TBS, TNT and 1. The CW 33% trend toward greater acceptance among the USA. Networks were chosen based on a com- 2. Fox 29% American public. Of the 19% who reported bination of Neilsen Media Research ranking, 3. ABC 23% that their feelings toward gay and lesbian cultural and media recognition factor, and the 4. NBC 15% people have become more favorable over the diversity and breadth of original programming. 5. CBS 10% past 5 years, 34% cited “seeing gay or lesbian For the purposes of this study, news, sports characters on television” as a contributing and children’s networks are not counted. The Ranking of the Broadcast Networks, factor. original primetime programs on these 10 2009-2010 networks were examined from June 1, 2010 As diverse LGBT images in the media become 1. The CW 35% to May 31, 2011. Total original programming more prevalent, the general public becomes 2. Fox 30% hours tracked: 1382.5 hours. Because of the exposed to the truth of the LGBT community: 3. ABC 26% re-airing and re-purposing of cable lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender 4. NBC 13% programming, only first-run broadcasts of Americans are parents and teachers, law original programs were counted when 5. CBS 7% enforcement officers and soldiers, high school evaluating cable programming. Acquired students and loving elderly couples. It is as (syndicated) series and films, as well as live Overview of Broadcast Network important for LGBT Americans to see our sporting events, were not counted for any Findings lives reflected on screen as it is for others to cable network, keeping the focus be exposed to the rich tapestry of the LGBT • Compared to last year’s NRI, GLAAD has found exclusively on network-generated original community. that the five major broadcast networks have all programming. remained relatively steady in the percentage of We also know that programming to LGBT All programming content, on both broadcast LGBT-inclusive hours found in their primetime viewers is good business. According to an and cable networks, was divided into four programming. There has been no change in their analysis by Witeck-Combs Communications categories: drama series, comedy series, rankings relative to one another based on these and Packaged Facts, the buying power of gay unscripted programming (i.e. reality and game figures, though The CW, Fox, and ABC all men and lesbians was projected to exceed shows), and newsmagazines/special event experienced slight declines, while NBC and CBS $835 billion by 2011. programming. In instances when a sports both experienced slight increases. ABC saw the And yet, though many television executives program aired during primetime on a greatest decline at -3%, while CBS saw the are aware of both the social and economic broadcast network, those hours were greatest increase at +3%. benefits of including LGBT representations in considered “special event programming” and • For the second year in a row, The CW is the top their programming, quite a few networks still counted as part of our analysis. The broadcast network in this report with 171 (33%) have a lot of work to do before they accurately categorization of programming hours was LGBT-inclusive hours out of 522 total hours of portray our communities and reflect the world implemented so that analysts could original programming. Last year, The CW reached in which we live. understand where a network’s strengths and 35% LGBT-inclusive hours, which remains the Methodology weaknesses lay when it came to portraying highest percentage ever recorded for a broadcast LGBT people. network since this report’s inception. The CW’s For this fifth annual report, GLAAD divided its programming also reflected the second greatest analysis into two sections: broadcast networks Each program was reviewed for on-screen racial/ethnic diversity among its LGBT impressions and cable networks. inclusion of LGBT representations. GLAAD analysts noted whether the LGBT depictions of all the broadcast networks. For broadcast, GLAAD researched were minor or major, as well as the • Fox remained in second place with 214 (29%) primetime programming on ABC, CBS, The orientation/gender identity and the race/ LGBT-inclusive hours out of 727.5 total hours of CW, Fox and NBC from June 1, 2010 to May ethnicity of those depicted. Any significant original programming. Thanks to programs like 31, 2011. Total primetime programming discussion of issues pertaining to LGBT lives, Glee, American Dad, and Running Wilde, Fox had hours researched: 4574.5 hours. Primetime whether in a scripted or newsmagazine setting, the highest begins at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific (7:00 was also counted, though no race/ethnicity Central and Mountain) and ends at 11:00 could be assigned. glaad network responsibility index 2011 Page 3 nriEXECUTIVE SUMMARY percentage and number of LGBT-inclusive on Law & Order: SVU. However, only 3% of been conducted, gay males made up the bulk of comedy programming hours of all the impressions on NBC were black/African the LGBT impressions on broadcast broadcast networks. American. television. On average, three out of four (73%) LGBT inclusive hours contained gay male im- • Once again, ABC had to settle for third • Despite having the greatest overall number pressions. The highest percentage was on NBC place behind The CW and Fox in terms of the of LGBT-inclusive programming hours, ABC (88%), and the lowest on CBS (53%). percentage of its LGBT-inclusive primetime featured the least racial diversity among those hours. However, ABC led all the broadcast impressions: 85% of ABC’s 479 LGBT • Lesbians, on the other hand, were featured in networks in total hours of LGBT inclusion. impressions were white characters. With only 17% of the LGBT-inclusive hours on Of the 1108 total tracked hours of primetime the exception of Dr. Callie Torres on Grey’s broadcast television. The highest percentage programming, 253 (23%) included LGBT Anatomy and Alejo Salazar on The Whole was found on CBS (21%), which included Kisha impressions. Despite the fact that their shows Truth (before it was cancelled), all the other on The Amazing Race and a recurring lesbian featured more regular LGBT characters than non-white characters or impressions were in character on Rules of Engagement. The any other broadcast network, most of their minor, non-recurring roles. lowest percentage was on Fox (11%), though inclusive hours came from reality that figure will hopefully increase next year • Fox (71%), CBS (59%), and The CW (50%) programming such as Dancing With The Stars now that Santana on Glee has come out as a also had predominantly white LGBT and Skating With the Stars. lesbian. representations, though these figures were an • NBC continues to hold fourth place with improvement over last year in all three cases. • Most of the female LGBT impressions on 167.25 (15%) LGBT-inclusive hours out of broadcast television were bisexual, and made up • Black/African American LGBT 1108 total hours of original programming. 30% of the total LGBT-inclusive hours counted. characters were the most underrepresented It has now held fourth place in the NRI CBS featured the highest overall percentage with group across the broadcast networks; rankings every year that GLAAD has issued 49%; again due to Kalinda on The Good Wife. comprising only 9% of all LGBT impressions. the report. A bright side to its performance The lowest percentage was on NBC (11%). These impressions were most prevalent on this year would be that the LGBT The CW (29%) thanks to America’s Next Top • Despite the obvious dearth in impressions put forth by NBC were certainly Model, which featured regular appearances representations of lesbians and bisexuals, the the most racially diverse of all the broadcast by runway mentor Miss J and fashion networks.