Los Angeles Television Coverage of Women's Concerns.

T. Forsher, G. Jeffries, M. P. Winston

Expert InsightsPublished 1974

A discussion of TV broadcasters' public service responsibility to women. Although the Federal Communications Act of 1934 states that broadcasters shall serve the "problems, needs and interests of all population segments," little attention is paid to the concerns of women, who constitute approximately 63 percent of the broadcasting audience. In 1973, two-thirds to more than three-fourths of all people shown on Los Angeles TV were men. On children's programs, 81 percent of the characters shown were male. News programs give women's rights less than 1 percent of broadcasting time. The most generous coverage monitored (KNBC) allowed 16 minutes out of a total of 1423 minutes of news telecast. One station (KTLA) did not devote even 1 minute out of 600 minutes of news. Changes in programming are recommended to meet primary areas of interest to women, such as women's organizations, sports, politics, civil rights, careers, education, and history--all areas that affect women's social, legal, and economic status. (Presented at a joint meeting of the Southern California Broadcasters Association and the Human Relations Commission of the City of Los Angeles, April 24, 1974.) 16 pp.

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Forsher, T., G. Jeffries, and M. P. Winston, Los Angeles Television Coverage of Women's Concerns. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1974. https://www.rand.org/pubs/papers/P5266.html.
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