Is There a Link Between Owner Race or Ethnicity and News and Public Affairs Programming?
This study found that minority owned radio stations aired more racially diverse programming than did majority owned stations. Minority owned radio stations were significantly more likely than majority owned stations to broadcast programming about women’s issues and live coverage of government meetings. They were also more likely to have a minority format for their music programming. Minority owned television stations were significantly more likely than their majority owned counterparts to have current events related programming and issues relevant to senior citizens. Furthermore, radio stations and television stations with more minorities on their staffs had more racially diverse programming than comparable stations with few minority employees Owner involvement, ownership structure, and station revenue were not predictors of programming diversity.
