California Family Minute

Fall Previews Showcase Propaganda
Brand new shows premier, and new episodes of old favorites return to family televisions in mid-September, along with autumn leaves, football, and back-to-school nights. In addition to Survivor, the Amazing Race, the Mentalist, and NCIS, a new offering of pilots will try to attract families to watch prime time television, between 8-11 p.m. Both broadcast and cable networks compete for viewers in their race to win market-share advertizing dollars. 

CBS President Nina Tassler recently apologized for her network’s poor showing in one survey. Presenting CBS’ fall schedule, Tassler commented, “There were a couple of pilots that we shot this season and a couple of projects in development that unfortunately we didn’t get to pick up. But we are adding a few characters to this season because we are very disappointed in our track record so far. We know we will do better. 

Tassler added, “We’re going to meet Alicia’s brother on ‘The Good Wife' as a gay character. We’re also going to be adding a new character to ‘Rules of Engagement.’ Jeff and Audrey’s surrogate will be a member of Jeff’s softball team and she’s a lesbian. We’re also going to be recurring a gay character in ‘Bleep My Dad Says.’” That’s right. Although CBS consistently pulls high audience shares, its president is apologizing and promising to make changes, because the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has scored CBS dead last in its portrayal of LGBT people.

GLAAD’s fourth annual Network Responsibility Index (NRI) rates prime time television for the top broadcast networks – ABC, CBS, the CW, Fox, and NBC – and 10 highly-rated cable networks on their portrayal of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people on television. The NRI is intended to “serve as a roadmap toward increasing fair, accurate, and inclusive LGBT media representations. 

CBS netted a failing rating, with only 7 percent of its programming deemed LBGT inclusive; fourth-ranked NBC rated slightly higher with a 13 percent share of its programming pro-homosexual. Disney-owned ABC achieved a “good” rating with 24 percent of its programming LGBT inclusive. Ironically, the top-rated cable network – the only network ever to receive an “excellent” rating from GLAAD – will not return to the survey next year. MTV has dropped from the top networks chosen by Nielsen ratings by which GLAAD selects the networks to include. 

For More Information: 
Parents Television Council
Plugged In
Is America Addicted to Television? Focus on the Family
Focus on the Family: Media Discernment