Existing comment:
The Real Story:
Women made major inroads in TV news in the 1970s as local stations assembled news teams that looked more like the communities they covered. Reporters Melba Tolliver and Rose Ann Scamardella broke barriers at WABC-TV in New York. But in 1972, just 11 percent of local TV anchors were women, and they earned about half of what men did in the major markets. The newsroom could be a hostile place. At Seattle's KING-TV, Jean Enersen was told to drink whiskey and smoke so her voice would be lower and more appealing to viewers. Christine Craft was demoted at KMBC-TV in Kansas City, Mo., after station management told her she was "too old" and "too unattractive." |