The Fox Network and the Revolution in Black Television - Kristal Brent Zook, 586-596

Recap: The 1990’s represented a time when regular white viewers were moving away from regular broadcast television. The major broadcast agencies, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox started to show more black oriented programming. They were giving black producers more and more leeway to produce shows the way they wanted. Fox even went further in giving total control to the black produces. This was an unprecedented happening for blacks involved with television.

Comment: After watching the movie OutFoxed, it is somewhat scary to think that Murdoch controlled a lot of how the black entertainment came and went on the Fox network. He used them to gain an better viewership and then after he dumps them to move back to a white oriented scope of programming. We have continued to see just how he has manipulated the system to his advantage but the only hope for the black producers and owners of the shows is that blacks own most of them. Right now, I think we will miss out on the harder edged shows that were produced and controlled by blacks since the current line ups don’t have the same feel. We will have to see what the next decade will bring us as we look ahead.