Critics of “2 Broke Girls” and other bawdy network shows might find this surprising, but a new study says broadcasters treat women better overall than cable or streaming networks do.
Forty-one percent of major characters on broadcast shows were female during the 2015-16 TV season, compared with just 39 percent on streaming platforms and 28 percent on cable, according to a study by San Diego State professor Martha M. Lauzen. Other new shows with female leads last season included “Quantico,” “Scream Queens” and “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.”
Moreover, broadcasters offered more racially diverse programming, with black females comprising 17 percent of all characters – a historic high.