Empire-Fueled Fox, ABC Family Top GLAAD's Annual LGBT Inclusion Study
GLAAD on Thursday released its ninth annual (and final) Network Responsibility Index, which takes stock of LGBT representation on television. And for the very first time, a broadcast network, Fox, earned a grade of “Excellent.”
In coupling Empire‘s arrival with Glee‘s swan song, Fox accomplished that feat with a 45.4 percent inclusion rate — or, LGBT impressions in 196 out of 424 original programmed hours — up 9 percent from 2014 and marking the highest percentage GLAAD has tracked for a Big 5 network since the inaugural NRI in 2006.
The CW — thanks in part to The Flash‘s Captain Singh, Arrow‘s Sara/Nyssa and The 100‘s Lexa/Clarke — followed closely with a “Good” 44.8 percent inclusion rate, and performed strongly alongside Fox with regards to the racial diversity of its LGBT impressions.
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Rounding out broadcast’s Big 5 were a Shondaland-fueled ABC (down a tick from last year, to 32 percent), NBC (28 percent, down 9 percent) and traditionally last-place CBS (with an “Adequate” 27 percent).
ABC Family, however, led everybody with a whopping 74 percent inclusion rate (92 out of 125 original hours), up sharply from last year’s already “Excellent” marks and delivering the highest number the NRI has ever tracked.
Rounding out cable’s Top 5 were FX (with a “Good” 54 percent), Showtime (41 percent), HBO (31 percent) and MTV (30 percent).
Placing 10th among cablers — behind USA, TNT, TLC and A&E — the History channel again served up a goose-egg and netted its fourth consecutive “Failing” grade, going 0-for-363 hours of studied programming.
This marks the final year that GLAAD will issue a Network Responsibility Index, with the organization shifting its focus to its annual “Where We Are on TV” diversity report.
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