statistics on women directors

>>EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - Where the Women Are . . . And Aren’t:
A Study of On-Screen and Behind-the-Scenes Representation
in the 1999-2000 Prime-time Season

Dr. Martha M. Lauzen, Professor, School of Communication, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, (619) 594-6301
Copyright © 2000 -- All rights reserved.
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Prime-time schedules are like real estate -- location matters. As one of the few factors known to increase a program’s chances for survival and success, even television’s most powerful players are not above staging public and occasionally contentious campaigns to hold on to coveted time slots.
In one such display last October, NYPD Blue ‘s co-creator and producer Steven Bochco complained loudly when ABC threatened to move the popular program from its regular Tuesday night spot. Venting his frustration in a number of high-profile media outlets, Bochco accused the network of favoring programs produced by its parent studio (Lowry, Los Angeles Times, 10/14/99). Ultimately, ABC relented, presumably to avoid further irritating the prolifically successful creator.
Prior seasons have seen similar charges of scheduling favoritism based not on ownership, but on gender and race. Hollywood folklore has it that Cybill and Frank’s Place met untimely ends as a result of unreliable and undesirable time slots.
To determine whether the broadcast networks’ (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, UPN, WB) scheduling practices systematically, if unconsciously, favor male on-screen talent and behind-the-scenes creators to females, this study examined the 104 prime-time series (dramas and situation comedies) airing in the 1999-2000 season, however briefly. This annual study also tracked the representation of women on screen and behind the scenes.

Findings/On-Screen Representation of Women
This segment of the study examined 1,530 characters appearing on one randomly chosen episode of every prime-time drama and situation comedy.
In the 1999-2000 prime-time season, females accounted for 40% and males 60% of all characters (see Figure 1). Similarly, females comprised 41% and males 59% of major characters.
Female characters were as likely to appear on dramas (40%) as situation comedies (41%).
Female characters were significantly more likely than males to appear in programs set primarily in domestic and non-work environments. Male characters were significantly more likely than females to appear on programs that take place primarily in work settings. Females comprised 45% of all characters on domestic sitcoms and dramas but only 36% of all characters on workplace sitcoms and dramas.
Overall, female characters were younger than their male counterparts. While female characters under 40 outnumbered males, male characters over 40 outnumbered females. Female characters experienced a dramatic decline in number from 38% in their 30s to 16% in their 40s. Male characters in their 50s outnumbered female characters in the same age cohort by more than 2 to 1 (14% male to 6% female).
Female characters were overwhelmingly white (78%), followed by African-Americans (16%), other-worldly characters such as extra-terrestrials (3%), Hispanics (2%), Asians (1%), and Native Americans (0%). Viewers were more likely to see a female ET in prime time than they were a female Hispanic, Asian or Native American character.
Women were significantly more likely to be identified by their marital status, while men were more likely to be identified by their occupational status. While 32% of male’s marital status could not be identified, only 22% of female characters had an unknown marital status. While 34% of female’s occupational status could not be identified, only 25% of male characters had an unknown marital status.
Male characters were more likely than female characters to hold powerful jobs that could be characterized as “macho” positions (those requiring physical strength). Female characters were more likely than male characters to hold powerless positions and those that could be characterized as traditionally female.
Ninety-eight percent (98%) of all prime-time characters were heterosexual and 2% were homosexual or bisexual. Two percent (2%) of homosexual characters were male and 1% were female.

Findings/Behind-the-Scenes Representation of Women
This segment of the study examined 1,718 individuals working behind-the-scenes on one randomly selected episode of every prime-time drama and situation comedy airing in the 1999-2000 season.
Overall, women comprised 23% of all creators, executive producers, producers, directors, writers, editors, and directors of photography working on the programs considered. This figure represents a slight increase from the 1998-99 season when women accounted for 21.5% of those working behind the scenes.
By role, the percentages of female creators, producers, directors, and writers increased, while the percentages of female executive producers and editors decreased. For the third year in a row, there wasn’t a single female director of photography working on any of the programs considered (see Figure 2).
On the programs analyzed, women fared best as producers (35%), followed by writers (24%), creators (18%), executive producers (17%), editors (13%), directors (7%), and directors of photography (0%).
Female executive producers hired significantly greater numbers of other behind-the-scenes women than male executive producers. Programs with female executive producers employed an average of 4 other women behind the scenes. In contrast, programs with male executive producers employed an average of 2 other women behind the scenes.
Women were only slightly more likely to work on situation comedies (24%) than dramas (22%). By role, women creators, executive producers, directors, and writers were more likely to work on situation comedies, while women producers and editors were more likely to work on dramas.
Behind-the-scenes women were significantly more likely to work on situation comedies and dramas that take place primarily in domestic settings than those in workplace settings. Women comprised 25% of all behind-the-scenes workers on domestic sitcoms and dramas but only 19% of those workers on workplace sitcoms and dramas.
Women comprised 18% of creators in the 1999-2000 season. Seventy-six percent (76%) of the programs considered had no female creators.
Women accounted for 17% of executive producers. Fifty-four percent (54%) of the programs considered had no female executive producers.
Women comprised 35% of producers. Fourteen percent (14%) of the programs considered had no female producers.
Women accounted for 7% of directors. Ninety-three percent (93%) of the programs considered had no female directors.
Women comprised 24% of writers. Seventy-percent (70%) of the programs considered had no female writers.
Women accounted for 13% of editors. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of the programs considered had no female editors.
For the third season in a row, there was not a single woman director of photography working on any of the programs considered. One hundred percent (100%) of the programs had no female directors of photography.

Findings/Relationship Between Women On Screen and Women Behind the Scenes
Women working behind the scenes significantly influenced the number of on-screen women. When a program had no female executive producers, women accounted for 37% of all characters. However, when a program employed at least one female executive producer, women comprised 44% of all characters.
On programs with no female writers, women accounted for 38% of all characters. When a program employed at least one female writer, women comprised 47% of all characters.
Programs with no female creators featured casts that were 38% female. On programs with at least one female creator, women comprised 47% of all characters.

Findings/Network Scheduling Practices and Gender
This segment of the study examined the rating and share of every situation comedy and drama on the six networks for the entire season. The rating and share of every prime-time program preceding and following these programs and the number of time slot moves were also recorded.
On average, programs on the weblets featured significantly greater percentages of major female characters (48%) than programs on the big three networks (40%) or Fox (40%).
On average, programs on the weblets employed significantly greater percentages of women creators and executive producers (25%) than programs on the big three networks (14%) or Fox (15%).
Programs featuring major female characters on the weblets enjoyed significantly more favorable scheduling practices than programs featuring female characters on the big three networks and Fox. In other words, as the percentage of major female characters featured on weblet programs increased, the stability of their time slot increased, as did the ratings/shares of the programs preceding and following the programs. In contrast, as the percentage of major female characters featured on the big three and Fox programs increased, the stability of their time slot decreased as did the ratings/shares of the surrounding programs.
Programs employing female creators and executive producers on the weblets enjoyed significantly more favorable scheduling practices than programs employing female creators and executive producers on the big three networks and Fox. In other words, as the percentage of female creators and executive producers on weblet programs increased, the stability of their time slot increased, as did the ratings/shares of the programs preceding and following the programs. In contrast, as the percentage of female creators and executive producers employed on the big three and Fox programs increased, the stability of their time slot decreased as did the ratings/shares of the surrounding programs.
The findings suggest that the weblets offer a more hospitable environment for women on screen and behind the scenes than the big three networks or Fox. Less-than-favorable scheduling practices at the big three nets and Fox