2015 NETWORK RESPONSIBILITY INDEX Network .ETWORK Responsibility 2ESPONSIBILITY Index )NDEX 0RIMETIME0ROGRAMMING Primetime Programming 2008-2009 !30%#)!,2%0/24&2/-4(%'!9,%3")!.!,,)!.#%!'!).34$%&!-!4)/. A SPECIAL REPORT FROM THE GAY & LESBIAN ALLIANCE AGAINST DEFAMATION www.glaad.org words & images matter celebrating 25 years 2009- 2010 network responsibility index nri 2011 network responsibility index Page 1 glaad network responsibility index www.glaad.org glaad network responsibility index 2011 Page 1 GLAAD.ORG 1 2014 NETWORK RESPONSIBILITY INDEX 2013NETWORK RESPONSIBILTY INDEX glaad.org/nri2013 Network Responsibility Index The GLAAD Network Responsibility Index (NRI) is an Primetime Programming 2008-2009 A SPECIAL REPORT FROM THE GAY & LESBIAN www.glaad.org ALLIANCE AGAINST DEFAMATION evaluation of the quantity and quality of images of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people on television. The NRI is a key measurement for inclusive programming and spurs increased numbers of fair and accurate LGBT media representations, which is the core of GLAAD’s work. Network .ETWORK Responsibility 2ESPONSIBILITY Index )NDEX 0RIMETIME0ROGRAMMING Primetime Programming 2008-2009 !30%#)!,2%0/24&2/-4(%'!9,%3")!.!,,)!.#%!'!).34$%&!-!4)/. A SPECIAL REPORT FROM THE GAY & LESBIAN ALLIANCE AGAINST DEFAMATION www.glaad.org words & images matter celebrating 25 years 2009- 2010 network responsibility index nri 2011 network responsibility index A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF TELEVISION’S LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER IMAGES. words and images matter Page 1 glaad network responsibility index www.glaad.org glaad network responsibility index 2011 Page 1 GLAAD.ORG 1 2014 NETWORK RESPONSIBILITY INDEX 2013NETWORK RESPONSIBILTY INDEX glaad.org/nri2013 2015 Network Responsibility Index Contents 06 Broadcast Additional From the Desk of Sarah Networks Networks Kate Ellis, CEO & President of GLAAD 14 ABC 44 Amazon, AMC, 07 16 CBS BBC America, Bravo Methodology 18 The CW 45 08 E!, HGTV, Hulu, Summary of Broadcast 20 FOX Lifetime, Logo Findings 23 NBC 46 11 Netflix, Oxygen, Summary of Cable PBS, Pivot, Starz Findings Cable 47 Networks Syfy, VH1 26 ABC Family GLAAD’s 28 A&E Entertainment Media Team 29 FX 47 Contact 31 HBO 33 History 34 MTV 36 Showtime 38 TLC 40 TNT 42 USA 5 2015 Network Responsibility Index From the Desk of Sarah Kate Ellis hen GLAAD’s Network Responsibility But it’s not enough to simply see more WIndex (NRI) debuted in 2006, the LGBT characters. We need to push media television landscape was starkly different companies and creators to represent the than it is today. Many of us could not have full diversity and humanity of the LGBT predicted the monumental change the NRI community. No character should be reduced would ignite across the industry in such to a token. All of us live at the intersection of a short time, but looking back over nine multiple identities and experiences making editions of this report, it is clear how far we us much more than our sexual orientation or have come and where we still must go. gender identity, and it is critically important Nearly a decade after GLAAD debuted we see that reality reflected in the media. the NRI, this will be its final edition. As Networks that continue to lag behind in representation of LGBT people in popular diversity must hear the message that simply media continues to flourish, pushing networks putting LGBT people onscreen isn’t enough; to make those representations more diverse is there must be thought, care, and substance essential. And doing so now requires a different behind it. set of tools than the NRI provides, which is why This is a message that television networks in the years ahead GLAAD will shift focus to its may be better prepared to hear than ever annual diversity report – Where We Are on TV. before, thanks to the remarkable success of GLAAD’s first NRI set a baseline shows like Empire, Orange is the New Black, that showed LGBT people were vastly and How to Get Away With Murder. It’s our underrepresented. These results were job to push networks to make diversity an shared not only with the general public institutional goal for their LGBT characters as but also with the networks themselves in well, and to keep that pressure on in the years direct conversations that have continued to come. Until that happens, many of us are year after year, and our efforts paid off. still being left out of the picture. The majority of networks GLAAD has tracked since 2006 — on both broadcast and cable — showed significant increases in the rate of inclusion and quality of LGBT characters and stories, which mirrored increasing rates of acceptance toward LGBT people in the real world. Sarah Kate Ellis We know that’s not a coincidence. CEO and President, GLAAD Television has always had a reciprocal relationship with the society watching it – reflecting social attitudes while also shaping them – and that relationship has without a doubt helped the country move closer to full equality and accelerate acceptance for all its citizens. 6 2015 Network Responsibility Index GLAAD analysts noted: 2015 2015 2,891.5 EXCELLENT GOOD broadcast programming RATING RATING hours researched whether the the sexual 2015 2015 LGBT depiction orientation or ADEQUATE FAILING had a major or gender identity minor presence of the depiction RATING RATING Based on the overall quantity, quality, and diversity of LGBT representation, a grade is 2,299.5 the race or any significant assigned to each network: ethnicity of the discussion of cable programming Excellent, Good, Adequate, depiction LGBT lives hours researched or Failing. Methodology For its ninth annual NRI report, GLAAD divided analysis into two sections: broadcast networks and cable networks. Only hours of original primetime programming were counted for both broadcast and cable. Repeat episodes, acquired (syndicated) series and films, as well as live sporting events, were not counted for any network, keeping the focus exclusively on network-generated original programming. or broadcast, GLAAD researched original original programming. For the purposes significant discussion of issues pertaining Fprimetime programming hours on of this study, news, sports, and children’s to LGBT lives, whether in a scripted or ABC, CBS, The CW, FOX and NBC from networks are not counted. The original newsmagazine setting, was also counted, June 1, 2014 through May 31, 2015. Total primetime programs on these 10 networks though no characters could be counted and primetime programming hours researched: were examined from June 1, 2014 through no race/ethnicity could be assigned. 2,891.5 hours. Primetime begins at 8:00 May 31, 2015. Total programming hours: For the purpose of this report, each p.m. Eastern and Pacific (7:00 Central 2,299.5 hours. representation of an LGBT person, or and Mountain) and ends at 11:00 p.m. All programming content, on both significant discussion of an LGBT issue, Eastern and Pacific (10:00 Central and broadcast and cable networks, was divided during the course of an hour counts as Mountain), Monday through Saturday. into four categories: drama series, comedy one ‘impression.’ If one LGBT character On Sunday, primetime begins at 7:00 series, unscripted programming (i.e. reality appeared on 12 episodes, for example, this p.m. Eastern and Pacific (6:00 Central and game shows), and newsmagazines/ character made 12 impressions. and Mountain). FOX and The CW do not special event programming. Live sporting Based on the overall quantity, quality air network programming during the last events were not counted as part of and diversity of LGBT representation, hour of primetime, and The CW does not GLAAD’s analysis. The categorization of a grade was assigned to each network: air programming on weekends. GLAAD programming hours was implemented so Excellent, Good, Adequate, or Failing. does not track primetime broadcast hours that analysts could understand where a programmed by local affiliate stations - network’s strengths and weaknesses lie when it came to portraying LGBT people. Note: Prior to 2014, GLAAD tracked both first-run only hours of national broadcast. and repeat episodes aired on broadcast networks Each program was reviewed for on- The 10 cable networks examined for the during primetime. In 2014, the report began 2014 - 2015 NRI were ABC Family, A&E, FX, screen inclusion of LGBT representations focusing only on first-run primetime programming HBO, History, MTV, Showtime, TLC, TNT or content. GLAAD analysts noted whether hours for broadcast networks to bring them in line and USA. Networks were chosen based on the LGBT depictions had a minor or with how the NRI has always tracked primetime a combination of Nielsen Media Research major presence in the story, as well as programming for cable networks. rankings, cultural and media recognition the orientation, gender identity and the factors, and the diversity and breadth of race/ethnicity of those depicted. Any 7 2015 Network Responsibility Index Opposite page, from upper left: Ray Holt (Andre Braugher), FOX’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez), ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy Drew Alister (Brendan Fehr), NBC’s The Night Shift FOX Kalinda Sharma (Archie Panjabi), CBS’ The Good Wife 1 (last year: 36%) David Singh (Patrick Sabongui), The CW’s The Flash 45% 2 The CW 45% (last year: 33%) Summary of Broadcast Findings 3 ABC 32% (last year: 34%) • This year, FOX featured the highest good as those numbers are, the network percentage of LGBT-inclusive original still lags behind when it comes to racial programming hours, coming in at 45.4%, diversity. Only 17% of the network’s which is also the highest percentage LGBT impressions were made by people GLAAD has tracked for a broadcast of color, the lowest of any broadcast network since the inaugural NRI in 2006. network. Thanks to shows like Empire, the network also had the second most racially diverse • NBC saw a significant drop in its LGBT- representations on broadcast, with 36% inclusive original programming hours of its LGBT impressions made by people this year, from 37% to 28%.