Feb. 1992
Bryan Center
Research Triangle Park, N.C.

Less than 6 percent of all television executives are African-American, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Is this the result of economic downs-sizing, or is the glass ceiling as in tact as ever?

North Carolina Public Television's Black Issues Forum continues to examine major hurdles that the AfricanAmerican community faces. In the latest in this series, "Channels Of Hope: A Television Agenda", an expert panel addresses the television industry. They share advice and insight into this increasingly competitive business with an audience of students and professionals.

Guest panelists include Drew Berry, News Director for WCAU-TV, Philadelphia, PA; Sandra Butler-Jones, Vice President for Broadcast Operations at WUSA-TV, Washington, D.C.; Edward Jones, General Manager for WHMM-TV, Washington, D.C.; Donald L. Marbury, Director of the Television Program Fund for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Washington, D.C.; Gary Wordlaw, Vice President for News at WJLA-TV, Washington, D.C.; and James E. Griffin, Jr. program manager for WRAL-TV, Raleigh, NC.

Throughout the program challenging questions from the audience spark a lively debate about the economics of this very commercial industry. Marbury voices the real challenge that African-Americans face in any business situation. "I certainly do think there is a glass ceiling. We already know that we will have to work harder and stay later, but that is a part of being black in America. It doesn't change because it's media."

In examining the future of television, Butler-Jones claims that the African-American influence in upper TV management is losing ground. "We aren't growing the next generation of news directors and this is our responsibility."

The discussion also addresses the power that the black community could have in television programming. AfricanAmericans watch more TV than most other groups. This make them a large consumer market, according to Edward Jones. "The way to create a change is to hold your dollars in your pocketbook until a change is made. "We are consumers and we forget what strategies work."

Marbury points out that the constitution guarantees that our media will not reflect only the majority of the society. For this reason equal representation must be demanded.

The responsibility of the African-American people, says Berry, " is to provide feedback for the station programmers and tell them if they are not providing equal depictions among racial groups. The future of AfricanAmericans in broadcasting is broadcasting is bright, but Wordlaw warns young, would-be producers to be patient. "You can do anything you want, but it won't happen overnight."

The moderator for Black Issues Forum is Valeria Lee, chair of the University of North Carolina Center for Public Television Board of Trustees and program development officer for the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. Dr. Paul Vandergrift is the series executive producer, and Jim Bramlett is the producer.

North Carolina Public Television is the program service for the University of North Carolina Center for Public television.