LOS ANGELES -- The Writers Guild of America, west (WGAw) has released stark preliminary findings from its forthcoming 2006 Hollywood Writers Report, which examines the current employment climate, hiring trends, and income earnings for women, minority, and other diverse writers in the entertainment industry.

The WGAw's advance TV series data focuses on the upcoming 2006-07 television staffing season, which looks increasingly grim following the recent shuttering of urban-oriented networks UPN and WB to create the newly launched, fledgling CW network.

“These statistics should remind everyone in a position to affect decisions during this hiring season of the under-employment of minority and female writers in series television. The situation will look worse a year from now with the loss of UPN. That outcome can be prevented and, instead, progress can be made if intentional steps are taken to reach beyond familiarity, tapping diverse writers at all levels, promoting those already working, and seeking out new writers in these underrepresented groups,” commented WGAw Board Member Melissa Rosenberg, who chairs the guild's Diversity Strategy Committee.

While employment trends with regard to hiring practices involving women, minority, and older writers remain consistent with previous years, notable findings in the report reveal the following:

• Women remain underrepresented on TV staffs by 2 to 1. There were 542 women writers staffing television shows during the 2005-06 TV season, up from 447 in 2004-05. These numbers represent an increase of about 1 percentage point in the female share of television employment - from 28.4 percent in 2004-05 to 29.3 percent in 2005-06. Since the 1999-00 TV season, the female share of employment has increased 3.5 percentage points (from 25.8 percent to 29.3 percent). Women, who comprise 51 percent of the nation's population, remain underrepresented on television staffs by nearly 2 to 1.
  
• Minorities remain underrepresented on TV staffs by 3 to 1.  In general, minority writers have lost some ground relative to their white counterparts in the industry. There were 206 minority writers staffing television shows during the 2005-06 TV season, up from 199 in 2004-05. However, because the overall number of writers on television shows increased between the two seasons, the minority share decreased from 13 percent in 2004-05 to 12 percent in 2005-06. Since the 1999-00 TV season, the minority share of television employment has actually increased 4.2 percentage points (from 7.8 percent to 12 percent). Minorities, who comprise more than 30 percent of the population, nonetheless remain underrepresented on television staffs by nearly 3 to 1 - and this while the number of writers staffing television shows overall actually increased 17.3 percent between the 2004-05 and 2005-06 TV seasons (from 1575 to 1847).
  
• Black writers account for more than half of minority writers - and continue to be concentrated on the now-defunct UPN. During the 2005-06 TV season, there were 130 black writers (63.1 percent of minority writers), 40 Hispanic writers (19.4 percent of minority writers), and 36 Asian American writers (17.5 percent of minority writers) staffing television shows. The figures for the 2004-05 TV season were similar: 136 black writers, 33 Hispanic writers, and 30 Asian American writers. There were 58 black writers staffing UPN television shows during the 2005-06 TV season, compared to 59 in 2004-05. These numbers represent 44.6 percent and 43.4 percent of all black writers, respectively. During the 1999-00 TV season, by contrast, only 30.8 percent of all black writers staffed UPN shows.

The full advance findings detailing hiring trends with regard for women, minority, and older writers are attached.

The WGAw's forthcoming 2006 Hollywood Writers Report, which will be released this September, will be compiled and authored by Darnell M. Hunt, UCLA professor of sociology and Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies director, who also compiled the guild's 2005 report.

For further press questions, please contact the WGAw Public Affairs office at: 323-782-4574.

The Writers Guild of America, west (WGAw) represents writers in the motion picture, broadcast, cable, and new media industries in both entertainment and news. The unions conduct numerous programs, seminars, and events throughout the world on issues of interest to, and on behalf of, writers.