"SMART, CONFIDENT, YET FEMININE": PARADOXES AND CONTRADICTIONS IN WOMEN'S TELEVISION. A CASE STUDY OF THE WOMEN'S TELEVISION NETWORK. Lisa M. Ellenwood A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in partial fuifilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Graduate Programme in Interdisciplinary Studies York University North York, Ontario Novernber 1998 National Library Bibliothèque nationale I*m of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, nie Wellington OtlawaON KIA ON4 OttawaON KIAON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive Licence allowing the exclusive permettant a la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de rnicrofiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thése. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels niay be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. "Smart, Confident, Yet Ferninine": Paracoxes and Contradictions in Woments Television. A Case Study of the Woments Television Network. by Lisa M. Ellenwood a thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of York University in partial fulfillrnent of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Permission has been granted to the LlûRARY OF YORK UNIVERSITY to lend or seIl copies of this thesis, to the NATIONAL LIBRARY OF CANADA to microfilm this thesis and to lend or seIl copies of the film, and to UNIVERSITY MICRORCMS to publish an abstract of this thesis. The author reserves other publication rights, and rieither the thesis nor extensive extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the authoreswritten permission. ABSTR ACT There is ongoing debate in the feminist community over the impact of television on women's lives and whether or not mainsueam television can be used as a means for social change. The Women's Television Network, which began broadcasting in Canada on January 1, 1995, reflects the ferninist debate in its stniggle to define women's television and also provides a concrete example of the practical applications of liberal feminist media theory in the commercial television indusuy. This thesis explores the paradoxes and contradictions which @se from WTN's relationships to feminism and commercial television. It does so through qualitative research conducted at WTN, texnial analysis, an examination of the political economy of the television industry and an overview of the shifting theoretical paradigms in feminist media studies. It asks why a women's channel was licenced at this point in Canadian history? Why a women's channel with a ferninist mandate? 1s this manda te compatible with commercial television? Will a wornen's channel, mn by wornen, necessarily affect in a progressive way. the discourses of gender encoded in the texts the channel broadcasts? In considering these questions the study sets out to demonstrate that despite the many compromises a 'ferninist' women's channel rnust make, to have a voice on mainstream television is to participate in a powerful discourse. An eighteen minute video, titled Carole Gets a TV, was also produced as part of this research project. It is an attempt to explore the ferninist debates presented in this thesis in a visual format, which might be used as an educational tool through which to address issues about the impact of the media on the construction of identity. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The main advantage of conducting graduate research in Lnterdisciplinary Studies is the opportunity of drawing upon the knowledge of scholars from a variety of disciplines. Professor Elizabeth Seaton, from the Mass Communications Department, also the Chair of my Supervisory Cornmittee, was an exceptional resource for information on feminist media theory, as well as for comments and suggestions on my research and writing. Professor Barbara Evans a filmmaker and professor in the Film and Video Department. provided me with invaluable support in the production of my video, as weli as a different perspective on the thesis material. Professor Ted Magder. from the Mass Communications Department, provided insights into the political economy of the television industry. 1 thank them ail for maintainhg their enthusiasm and dedication to rny project despite their various sabbaticals, maternity leave and relocation to foreign universities. In addition. 1 would like to acknowledge the generous assistance of Professor Virginia Rock in helping me work through difficulties in the writing process. Surviving graduate studies at York would not have been possible without the wonderful people connected to the Interdiscipiinary Studies Programme: mÿ colleagues Rachel, Gord, Krys, Sarah and Paul, the former Programme Assistant Agatha Campbell and the Programme Director Professor Marlene Kadar, whose energy, cheerfufness and pro blem-solving abilities kept us all going. 1would iike to thank Barbara Barde and Linda Rankin and ail of the women I interviewed at the Women's Television Network in Winnipeg and Toronto for generously supporting my research. I would especidy like to thank Laura Michalchyshyn for facilîtating my trip to Winnipeg and for never complaining about all of my questions. Completing this thesis would not have been possible without the unfailhg support of my friends and famiiy. Specifically 1 would like to mention Marni Goldman for her fabulous ideas and expert editing, Michael Tong for helping me through my first year and Barb Anderson and Jane Gutteridge, who despite their many attempts to sabotage my thesis, helped a great deal with my financiai sumival through the thesis witing process. Most of all. 1 would like to th& Adrian Callender, my parents Brenda and Ray Ellenwood and my sisters Joanna Bottrell and Claire Ellenwood. Adrian for his love, encouragement and patience and my family for their editing skills, for believing in my project and for putting up with me throughout this whole process. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Title Page i Copyright Page ii Certificate Page iii Abstrac t iv Acknowledgements v Table of Contents vii Preface ix Chapter 1 - Introduction 1 Chapter 2 - Shifting Paradigms in Feminist Media S tudies 1O Liberal Feminist Approaches to the Media Criticism of the Li beral Feminis t Approaches Influences of Semiotic Analysis Political Economy of the Media Indus~ Socialist Feminist Approaches to the Media Marxis t Influences Laura Mulvey Influences of Hegemony and Cultural Studies Michel Foucault's Discourse Theory Reclaiming Feminine Texts: Textual and Audience Research Textual Analysis Audience Research The Made-for-TV Movie Chapter 3 - The Media Environment WchLed to the Licencing 33 of a 'Femlliist' Women's Channel in Canada vii viii Sex-role Scereo typing Employment Equi ty Recent Media Activism and Research The Licencing of a Women's Channel in Canada The Founders of WTN The Application Process Support for WTN Chapter 4 - The Struggle to Define Women's Television at WTN 5 9 Infiuences on WTN's Representation of 'Wornan' 60 Nego tiating Ferninisrn at WTN 60 The People Defining Wornen's Programrning at WTN 64 The Media BacNash 69 The Business of Commercial Television: Advertising 7 1 The Original Vision of Programming: "for women, by 78 women and about women" The New Vision of Prograrnrning: "what women want to 90 watch" Chapter 5 - Conclusion 106 Appendix A - A Video Docurnentary, Carole Gets a TV 110 Endno tes 126 Selected Bibliography 135 PREFACE Back in 1993, when 1 first read that there were two applications subrnitted to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecornmunications Commission (CRTC)for a specialty television licence for women, 1 was thriiled. 1 thought that fmally women would have a voice on rnainstream television. The channel would be a great opportunity for women like myself, who drearn of working in a feminist, supportive environment and of producing television programrning that is progressive. relevant and accessible to a rnass audience. 1 believed a wornen's television channel would provide a great opportunity for women to learn the technology of television production and it would offer a new venue to show work to a national audience (except for most of Quebec) which hadn't previously fit into other broadcasters' schedules. 1 was convinced that if one of these channels was licenced it wouid change the media landscape in Canada forever, untilI bumped into a feminist hiend who was not at al1 excited about the prospect of a women's channel. She thought a women's channel was ghettoizing and that the audience would be limited. She listed off many wornen who are rnaking strides for gender equality on mainstream television: Denise Donlon, Wendy Mesley, Rita Deverell, Pamela Wallin. She believed that women have a rnuch greater chance of affecting social change and influencing ideas if they work with the existing broadcasters. Her cornrnents made me reconsider my unequivocal enthusiasm for the licencing of a wornen's channel and made me recognize that there was much more to the issue than 1 originally thought. My enthusiasm for a women's channel cornes from my experiences as a feminist documentary videomaker, a student of film and television, and from working for and partiupating in many successful film and television organizations. I have worked at the National Film Board and adrmred the films produced by its Studio D (the only government sponsored feminist film unit in the world-- recently closed). 1 have also created my own video productions at universiSr and with SHE/TV. a feminist collective producing television programming through Rogers Cable 10 cornrnmity access in Toronto.