As a passionate fan of reality TV and someone who has followed the industry closely for years, I find it disheartening to learn about the stark gender imbalance at the top levels of unscripted television. The statistics presented in this study are alarming, with three out of every four reality TV creators being men and over 80% in the US.
These shows include “American Idol,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “Shark Tank,” and “Survivor.” They are all popular unscripted television productions, and they were all developed by male creators.
A recent study revealed that out of every four reality TV content creators, three are males. This disparity is particularly noticeable in the US, where over 80% of these non-scripted creators identify as male.
The research in-depth explores the portrayal of women in leadership positions between 2021 and 2023 in the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and France. This project was initiated alongside Banijay Launch, a global initiative by Banijay to foster female creators with compelling unscripted concepts. The study’s results were unveiled at an event held at the Skirball Cultural Center on Tuesday evening. Simultaneously, Banijay announced the commencement of its second cycle for the female accelerator program. In its debut year, this program received over 500 applications from women creators hailing from over 30 regions around the world.
At the lower levels of the nonscripted industry, progress for women has been encouraging, even if challenges remain. For instance, the study revealed that women have made significant strides at the supervising producer level, achieving near equality. Moreover, the proportion of female executive producers grew by 10 percent during this period, from 36.6 percent in 2021 to 46 percent in 2023. In summary, although the nonscripted industry’s producer class – consisting of executive producers, supervising producers, and show creators – was predominantly male (58.4%) across the four participating countries from 2021 to 2023, there has been noticeable improvement in gender representation at the mid and upper levels.
According to the research, the primary hurdle lies with the influential and powerful show creators at the highest echelon of production. The study suggests various strategies to enhance the situation for those below and in mid-level positions. Some suggestions are: promoting mentorship programs that encourage learning and professional connections, advocating for equal pay and opportunities, nurturing an environment of open communication, and providing paid time off.
“We’re pleased to see Banjiay taking the initiative to recognize and address gender disparities in their industry, and they’re not just talking the talk but also walking the walk by enhancing opportunities for women within their own organization,” remarked Madeline Di Nonno, president and CEO of the Geena Davis Institute, in a statement. “We believe that having more women in key decision-making positions will lead to more varied roles portrayed on screen as well as behind it.”
As a passionate fan of unscripted television and an advocate for gender equality in the industry, I, Sharon Levy, CEO of Banijay’s Endemol Shine North America, am excited to share our latest report. We believe that this data will serve as a catalyst for important discussions about increasing the representation of women in leadership roles within unscripted television.
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2024-07-17 06:24