Today's action at FOX's Washington, DC affiliate is the third since NOW named FOX a Network of Shame. I am pleased to announce that it appears FOX may be prepared to address our concerns about how women are portrayed on television. As a result NOW has agreed to review Fox's fall line-up to evaluate the network's improvement.
One week ago, on Tuesday, May 30, I had an encouraging dialogue in Los Angeles with Gail Berman, who will take over as president of Fox Entertainment on July 5th. Ms. Berman seemed open to NOW's critique of primetime television and promised to work from within to address feminist concerns, such as violence, gender composition/stereotypes, sexual exploitation and social responsibility.
Ms. Berman's record at Regency Television, where she spearheaded shows like "Malcolm in the Middle," "Angel" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," suggests that she is committed to programming with strong, fully drawn women characters. On her watch at Fox, we hope to see more woman-positive shows that reflect the rich diversity of women in our society.
However, we can only be cautiously optimistic about the impact Ms. Berman will have at FOX; it remains to be seen whether other top executives share Ms. Berman's commitment. After all, Ms. Berman reports to Fox Entertainment Group Chair Sandy Grushow, who is by reputation a hands-on executive.
Clearly, Ms. Berman and other women in television face a real challenge. We will do everything we can to support Ms. Berman in her efforts to change what we see on tv. NOW activists will continue to monitor all of the networks. And we will continue our efforts to lobby for quality television programs. We will have discussions with interested network executives as we work to make improvements. We will also take our concerns to advertisers as we encourage them to support programs that are women-friendly.
And this fall, as new shows are released along with new episodes of returning shows, feminists will be watching, and we will let you know who makes the grade.
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