After decades of primetime exclusion, diverse creators and audiences are finally making progress and getting new options and representation thanks to the rise of innovative streaming services. A 2023 UCLA study found that “women and people of color are finding more job opportunities in streaming release” and in 2021 Nielsen reported that “Americans want more diversity on TV and they’re increasingly finding more of it on streaming platforms.” Moreover, culturally specific streaming services like AllBlk and Pantaya have emerged giving diverse voices exciting new opportunities to find audiences and succeed.
But this long-sought progress is now being threatened by a pressure campaign orchestrated by a small number of powerful traditional broadcast TV groups. They want the government to impose outdated cable regulations on internet streaming, which would force streamers to carry more of these broadcasters’ programming, and pay more for it. A June 2023 letter from Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) asks the FCC to review the issue.
But this approach would turn back the clock on American media and erect new barriers for diverse creators trying to gain a foothold on modern streaming services. The broadcasters’ scheme would immediately impact services offering live TV and a mix of channels, such as Hulu Live Plus, YipTV, and YouTubeTV, but could also extend to a diverse mix of on-demand services like Netflix and Disney Plus, as well as ALLBLK and Revry.
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