07-23-2022, 02:48 AM
(This post was last modified: 07-23-2022, 03:23 PM by Michigan Swamp Buck.
Edit Reason: For Clarity
)
I and many others I know have noticed the skewed demographics on prime time TV commercials in our area. I've heard others online from all over say they have noticed the same things in their areas. Even people in other countries have noticed this about the U.S. This has been going on for at least five or more years now, but has become particularly more noticeable in the past few years.
I've noticed this with all the stations here, but my area picks up WZZM channel 13 (ABC) better than most others. It covers Kent County and the surrounding nearby counties in all directions. If I were further north, I'd be out of their main broadcast range. I'll be using that station in my example of how skewed the demographics of the commercials have become.
Now, before I explain what I mean about how the demographics are skewed, I am not trying to be racist with my observations, I'm only trying to understand why this is going on. I have some ideas but I want to hear what others say first.
Almost all the prime time commercials on the broadcast TV stations in my area contain only portrayals of black and mixed B&W families that are in the higher middle class range. They are presented as well educated with good jobs in a husband and wife household. They are shown as basically three types, a young couple, a nuclear family of a man and wife with at least two children or a well to do retired senior couple. They feature this portrayal exclusively and have a scant few of other races and usually only one or possibly two white people in the background out of as many as ten people in these commercials. Latinos are represented about the same as whites and Asians far less.
This market target they are portraying is a super small percentage of the local area viewership. I don't have all the figures locally, but the national numbers don't have that demographic as being that large, certainly not enough to warrant having every TV commercial aimed at such a tiny market segment.
Now the percentages.
About of 14% of the US population is black (same as in Michigan).
28% of that 14% earn more than $75,000 a year, the lower end of middle class for a family of 3 or 4. This equals 3.92% of the entire U.S. population.
Only 38% of black American households are headed by a married couple making that black demographic 5.32% of the total population.
44% of black Americans have at least graduated high school or 6.16% of the total population. It makes sense that far fewer have gone on to college at any level.
I have not gone into the number of unemployed or poverty level homes. Also keep in mind that most of the African American population resides in southern states and in larger urban areas. Compared to northern midwestern rural areas like the one I live in, blacks folks are a fairly rare sight unless you go to the bigger towns and cities. Rarer still are any upwardly mobile black nuclear families in my area.
So with the possibility that such a black demographic is only somewhere in the 4% to 6% range of the total U.S. population, and even far less in my area, why the hell are all the TV commercials featuring this demographic on almost every damned commercial?
Now, there are several communities that are primarily black within the viewing area of WZZM. Those are as follows . . .
Benton Harbor
Population: 9,806
% African American: 84.24%
# Of African American Residents: 8,260
Muskegon Heights
Population: 10,735
% African American: 76.32%
# Of African American Residents: 8,193
Grand Rapids
% African American: 17.52%
2019, Grand Rapids, MI had a population of 198,000 people
Grand Rapids is the main audience for these stations. They have about a 17% black population at around 34,690 people out of a total of 198,0000. The other towns are really small in comparison and a least an hour's drive from Grand Rapids. Still, we are talking low single digits when we whittle it down to this very specific demographic in this broadcast area.
So why are they programming 90% or more of their prime time commercial spots with commercials that have such a small demographic? If anything, they are alienating 94% to as much as 96% of their viewing audience. Actually it is likely more than that, but I have to do some really deep research to find the better figures.
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I've noticed this with all the stations here, but my area picks up WZZM channel 13 (ABC) better than most others. It covers Kent County and the surrounding nearby counties in all directions. If I were further north, I'd be out of their main broadcast range. I'll be using that station in my example of how skewed the demographics of the commercials have become.
Now, before I explain what I mean about how the demographics are skewed, I am not trying to be racist with my observations, I'm only trying to understand why this is going on. I have some ideas but I want to hear what others say first.
Almost all the prime time commercials on the broadcast TV stations in my area contain only portrayals of black and mixed B&W families that are in the higher middle class range. They are presented as well educated with good jobs in a husband and wife household. They are shown as basically three types, a young couple, a nuclear family of a man and wife with at least two children or a well to do retired senior couple. They feature this portrayal exclusively and have a scant few of other races and usually only one or possibly two white people in the background out of as many as ten people in these commercials. Latinos are represented about the same as whites and Asians far less.
This market target they are portraying is a super small percentage of the local area viewership. I don't have all the figures locally, but the national numbers don't have that demographic as being that large, certainly not enough to warrant having every TV commercial aimed at such a tiny market segment.
Now the percentages.
About of 14% of the US population is black (same as in Michigan).
28% of that 14% earn more than $75,000 a year, the lower end of middle class for a family of 3 or 4. This equals 3.92% of the entire U.S. population.
Only 38% of black American households are headed by a married couple making that black demographic 5.32% of the total population.
44% of black Americans have at least graduated high school or 6.16% of the total population. It makes sense that far fewer have gone on to college at any level.
I have not gone into the number of unemployed or poverty level homes. Also keep in mind that most of the African American population resides in southern states and in larger urban areas. Compared to northern midwestern rural areas like the one I live in, blacks folks are a fairly rare sight unless you go to the bigger towns and cities. Rarer still are any upwardly mobile black nuclear families in my area.
So with the possibility that such a black demographic is only somewhere in the 4% to 6% range of the total U.S. population, and even far less in my area, why the hell are all the TV commercials featuring this demographic on almost every damned commercial?
Now, there are several communities that are primarily black within the viewing area of WZZM. Those are as follows . . .
Benton Harbor
Population: 9,806
% African American: 84.24%
# Of African American Residents: 8,260
Muskegon Heights
Population: 10,735
% African American: 76.32%
# Of African American Residents: 8,193
Grand Rapids
% African American: 17.52%
2019, Grand Rapids, MI had a population of 198,000 people
Grand Rapids is the main audience for these stations. They have about a 17% black population at around 34,690 people out of a total of 198,0000. The other towns are really small in comparison and a least an hour's drive from Grand Rapids. Still, we are talking low single digits when we whittle it down to this very specific demographic in this broadcast area.
So why are they programming 90% or more of their prime time commercial spots with commercials that have such a small demographic? If anything, they are alienating 94% to as much as 96% of their viewing audience. Actually it is likely more than that, but I have to do some really deep research to find the better figures.
LINK
LINK
LINK
LINK