Network television blackout: jobs in television industry still out of reach for African Americans.From Tracy Morgan Tracy Morgan (born November 10 1968 in Bronx, New York) is an American actor perhaps best known as a member of the cast of Saturday Night Live from 1996 to 2003. Morgan currently stars as Tracy Jordan in Emmy Award Winning NBC sitcom 30 Rock. to Whoopi Goldberg Whoopi Goldberg (born November 13, 1955) is an American actress, comedian, radio presenter, and author. Goldberg is one of only ten individuals who have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award, counting Daytime Emmy Awards. and Queen Latifah
The report covers the 2000-2003 television seasons, based on information provided by the four major networks: ABC ABC in full American Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. television network. It began when the expanding national radio network NBC split into the separate Red and Blue networks in 1928. , CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) See cell broadcast. , NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. , and FOX. In front of the camera, CBS and FOX hold the lead. The FOX network has more minority actors than any of its three major competitors, employing 121 minorities in a regular or recurring role last season. CBS employed a record high of 99 minorities in a regular or recur ring role; NBC, 81; and ABC, 74. With respect to directing, ABC employed just eight minority directors and CBS employed only 10. At NBC, the network reported that 10% of its episodes last season were directed by minorities, but did not provide the number of minority directors employed. FOX reported that in the 2002-2003 season, it employed 27 directors of color who directed 81 primetime episodes. In the 2000-2001 season, according to the NAACP NAACP in full National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Oldest and largest U.S. civil rights organization. It was founded in 1909 to secure political, educational, social, and economic equality for African Americans; W.E.B. Du Bois and Ida B. , CBS reported that it employed only nine minority writers, and last season, that number remained the same. Notably, CBS is the only network that employs a minority in the lead creative position of show runner: Pam Veasey, an African American woman, on The District. ABC fared a little better in writing. In the 2000-2001 season, ABC reported that it employed 12 minority writers; and in the 2002-2003 season that number increased to 19. Similarly, at NBC, in the 2000-2001 season, the network reported that it employed less than 18 minority writers. Last season that number rose to 24. FOX was the only network that provided information that gave a clearer picture in the area of writing. In 1999, only 5% of the writers employed by FOX on its primetime schedule were minority. That number rose to 24.4% in 2002. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] |
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