The Amateur Athletic Foundation's 1989 study, "Gender Stereotyping in Televised Sports," received national attention in both the popular media and scholarly publications. The study has become required reading in several college and university courses. And, hundreds of copies of the report have been requested by and distributed to national television networks.
             This new study is intended to measure what, if any, progress has been made in
             the four years following the original report. Its findings are both encouraging and frustrating.
             On the positive side, broadcasts of national events such as the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament and the U.S. Open Tennis Championship communicate a significantly higher level of respect for women and their accomplishments as athletes. The demeaning practice of referring to adults as "girls" has virtually ended. Announcers, in general, portray women athletes in more positive terms. Production values of women's sport events have improved. At the local level, the "humorous" sexual objectification of women has become less frequent.
             Unfortunately, problems remain. The percentage of women's sports coverage on the 11:00 p.m. local sports news remains unchanged from 1989. Announcers covering national sports events still display ambivalence about women's athleticism. Production values, while improved, continue to lag behind those in men's sports coverage. In a variety of ways, local and national broadcasts continue to send the message that women's sports are less worthy than men's.
             We have made considerable progress in four years. Broadcasters, particularly those at the national level, are to be commended for the changes that have occurred. More progress needs to be made in the next four years. Inequities still exist. As I wrote in 1989, these inequities are unfair. They are wrong and they must be changed.
             Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles
             A. Tel...