Where We Are On TV Report 2014 – 2015

The Where We Are on TV report analyzes the overall diversity of primetime scripted series regulars on broadcast networks and looks at the number of LGBT characters on cable networks for the upcoming 2014-2015 TV season.

Below are some of the most remarkable points GLAAD found in its research this year, download the full report now to read more.

• Out of 813 primetime broadcast scripted series regulars, 32 will be LGBT this year, or 3.9%. This is up from 3.3% last year but still down from the record high of 2012 when 4.4% of primetime broadcast scripted regular characters were LGBT. In addition, GLAAD found 33 recurring LGBT characters on primetime broadcast series.
• FOX showed an increase this year with 6.5% of primetime broadcast scripted regulars being lesbian, gay or bisexual, the highest percentage among broadcast nets. ABC, which tied with FOX for first place last year, has dropped to 4.5% of primetime regular characters on the network being LGBT. NBC is in third place at 3.8%, up from 1% last year. CBS is in fourth for the second year in a row with 3.2% of its regular characters being LGBT, up from 1.9% last year, while The CW will have no regular LGBT characters.
• Of the 813 overall regular characters on broadcast primetime, the percentage of female characters has declined to 40% from 43% last year.  People of color will make up 27% of all regular characters, while just 1.4% will be depicted as people with disabilities.
• Of the 65 LGBT regular and recurring characters on broadcast networks, 43% (28) are women and 26% are people of color. While last year a transgender character was amongst the primetime broadcast series regulars (Unique on FOX’s Glee), this year there are none.
• On cable, GLAAD counted 64 regular LGBT characters, up from 42 last season. An additional 41 recurring characters were counted. HBO will have the most characters with a total of 15 regular or recurring characters expected, followed by ABC Family and Showtime with 13 characters each. Of those LGBT characters, 44% are women and 34% are people of color. Only one transgender character, Cole on The Fosters, was counted.

GLAAD’s annual TV reports not only propel national conversations about LGBT representation, but inform GLAAD’s own advocacy within the television industry.  GLAAD uses this yearly data to create a clearer picture of the stories and images being presented by television networks, and to encourage networks to include diverse LGBT representations within them. The next NRI and Where We Are on TV will be released in 2015.