Boxed In: Employment of Behind-the-Scenes Women in the 2008-09 Prime-time Television Season
by Martha M. Lauzen, Ph.D.
Copyright © 2009 – All rights reserved.
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The percentage of women working in powerful behind-the-scenes roles in prime-time programming airing on the five broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, NBC) remained relatively stable in the 2008-09 season when compared with prior seasons. Overall, women comprised 25% of all creators, executive producers, producers, directors, writers, editors, and directors of photography working on situation comedies, dramas, and reality programs. This represents a decline of one percentage point from 26% in 2007-08 but an increase of four percentage points from 21% in 1997-98.
Women writers and directors of photography experienced substantial increases this year. The percentage of women writers increased from 23% in the 2007-08 season to 29% in 2008-09. This percentage remains below the recent historical high of 35% in the 2006-07 season. The percentage of women directors of photography increased from a meager 1% in 2007-08 to 4% in 2008-09
Findings
· This study examined 2,137 individuals working behind the scenes on one randomly selected episode of every prime-time drama, situation comedy, and reality program airing on ABC, CBS, CW, Fox, and NBC. (MyNetworkTV halted airing original programming midseason and is thus not included in the current study.)
· Overall, women fared best as producers (35%), followed by writers (29%), executive producers (23%), creators (21%), editors (18%), directors (9%), and directors of photography (4%) (see Figure 1).
Figure 1.
Percent of Behind-the-Scenes Women and Men during the 2008-09 Season
· The representation of behind-the-scenes women did not vary by program genre. Dramas, situation comedies, and reality programs all employed 25% women and 75% men.
· Women comprised the largest percentage of behind-the-scenes individuals at ABC (30%), followed by CBS (26%), NBC and CW (24%), and Fox (19%),
Figure 2.
Historical Comparison of Percentages of Behind-the-Scenes Employment of Women
· Women comprised 21% of creators. This represents a decline of one percentage point from 2007-08 (22%) but an increase of three percentage points from 1997-98 (18%). 85% of programs employed no women creators (see Figure 2).
· Women accounted for 23% of executive producers. This represents an increase of one percentage point from 22% in 2007-08 and an increase of four percentage points from 19% in 1997-98.
· In 2008-09, women comprised 35% of producers. This represents a decline of two percentage points from 2007-08 (37%) but an increase of six percentage points from 1997-98 (29%).
· Women accounted for 29% of writers. This represents an increase of six percentage points from 23% in 2007-08 and an increase of nine percentage points from 20% in 1997-98. However, it is less than the recent historical high achieved in 2006-07 when women accounted for 35% of writers. 72% of the programs employed no women writers.
· Women comprised 9% of directors. This represents a decline of two percentage points from 2007-08 (11%) but an increase of one percentage point from 1997-98 (8%). 92% of programs employed no women directors.
· In 2008-09, women accounted for 18% of editors. This represents an increase of one percentage point from 17% in 2007-08 and an increase of three percentage points from 15% in 1997-98. However, it is less than the recent historical high achieved in 2001-02 when women accounted for 20% of editors. 68% of programs employed no women editors.
· Women comprised 4% of directors of photography. This represents substantial increases from 1% in 2007-08 and 0% in 1997-98. 96% of programs employed no women directors of photography.
Report compiled by Dr. Martha M. Lauzen, Executive Director, Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, 619.594.6301
