Desperate Househusbands?
- March 08 2010, 16:35
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Channel 4 have launched a hand-wringing PC report, claiming that only one woman appears on the small screen for every two men.
The study looked at a sample period of 386 hours of peak viewing across BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4, Five and Sky1, and claims that men now take up 65% of all possible broadcast roles.
The report is shocked that, “...in light entertainment, comedy and drama they make up just four in every 10 participants.” Just 4 in 10. Or 40%. Shockingly low, considering it should be as high as 5 in 10. Far be it from this correspondent to suggest that women aren’t as funny as men (Rhetorical question time: name your favourite stand-up comic: is it a man?), however perhaps TV is a meritocracy.
More interestingly, the study finds that in the field of serious broadcasting, women make up only one-third of participants in factual programming and news. When women do feature in news programmes, 69% of the time it’s to discuss “softer” news topics, such as health, culture or cookery.
The research follows the departure of long-standing GMTV news presenter Penny Smith last week. The ITV morning show’s website has been bombarded with complaints from Ms. Smith’s fans this weekend, many of whom suspect she was forced out because she was now deemed to be too old. There were rumours the Daily Mail was going to launch an ageism campaign on behalf of Ms. Smith, but they then remembered it wasn’t the BBC, so declined the chance of an hysterical witch-hunt. This week.
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