2017-3-3-3-Rozario - Kids’ TV Programming in India: A Comparison of Gender Representation in Imports versus Locally Produced Programmes

Aug 28, 2026

The study examines how gender is represented in children’s television in India by comparing foreign imported programmes with locally produced content. Content analysis of evening prime-time shows across multiple kids’ channels finds an average male-to-female character ratio of 3:1, with males dominating character presence in most countries studied. The gender ratios in productions, including India, do not mirror either their national populations or India’s census population. Among the most frequent countries (USA, India, Japan), more titles use male character names, while American productions align most closely with Indian gender representation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Growth of the Kid’s Genre

Gender Representation Findings

Kids’ TV Programming in India: A Comparison of Gender Representation in Imports versus Locally Produced Programmes By Ann Maria Rozario 􀀍 Vaageessan Masilamani† Arulchelvan Sriram‡ Kids’ television channels in India air a mix of foreign and domestic programming. Comparisons between the two types of programming have been made on a variety of issues. A less talked about aspect though, is the differences or similarities in how both types of productions represent gender. This study aims to identify whether both genders are presented equally in domestic and foreign productions that airs in India. A content analysis of evening prime time programming on various kids’ channels showed that the average ratio of male to female characters in an individual programme was 3:1. Males also outnumbered females in the programming of the majority of the countries. The gender ratio of almost all countries’productions (including India) did not reflect the gender ratio of their own population as well as that of India’s census population. All three countries (USA, India and Japan) with the highest number of programmes in this sample had more titles with the names of male characters than females. Among the character roles, the role of the protagonist’s ally/friend/co-worker was the most common role which all countries allotted to both genders. In terms of gender representation, American productions were the most similar to Indian productions. Keywords: cartoons, children, gender, India television Introduction Kids’ television programming in India is currently going through an exciting and blooming period where the 330 million kids aged 4-14 years (Bhagia, 2013a) are spoiled when it comes to choosing what to watch on television. With more than 20 channels at the national and regional level exclusively targeting kids with their specialized content (FICCI-KPMG, 2015), it is no wonder that the kids genre continues to be the most favourite type of programming for a majority of Indian kids (Adgully Bureau, 2016) . Starting atthe age of 18 months – 2 years when they are first exposed to television (Hapkiewicz, 1979), kids fall in love with the medium that with a click of a button brings their favourite characters and stories into their living rooms. Kids’ programming in India consists of both animated (cartoons) and live action programmes that cater to younger and older kids respectively. The dynamic combination of captivating storylines, strong protagonists, futuristic settings, colourful visuals, catchy tunes and energetic voice talents in cartoons, draws and holds the attention of young kids in a manner that cannot be 􀀍 Research Scholar, Anna University, India. † Research Scholar, Anna University, India. ‡ Assistant Professor, Anna University, India. [https://doi.org/10.30958/ajmmc.3.3.3](https://doi.org/10.30958/ajmmc.3.3.3) doi=10.30958/ajmmc.3.3.3 replicated by any other media. Cartoons are for kids what soap operas are for adult women (Habib & Soliman, 2015; Kaur, 2013) . The twists and turns in plotlines keep both kids and their parents (who normally co-view) engrossed (Adgully Bureau, 2016) . On the other hand, older kids are more attracted to live action shows that feature characters just like them, tackling problems just like theirs. All in all the number of animated cartoons and live action shows across the various kids’ television channels are more than capable of providing Indian kids with endless hours of education and entertainment. Growth of the Kid’s Genre Kids’ television programming has come a long way since the early days of television in India when the state-run broadcaster-Doordarshan was the only channel that was beamed into homes across the country. Doordharshan allotted specific time slots as the children’s hour and ran a mixture of indigenously produced programmes like Magic Lamp, Santakukdi, Gaayab Aaya, Malgudi Days and Khel Khilone along with acquired foreign cartoons like Duck Tales, The Jungle Book,

FAQs

本研究比较了什么内容？

研究比较印度儿童电视节目中的外来引进内容与本土制作内容在性别呈现上的差异与相似性。

研究通过什么方法得出性别比例结论？

对各儿童频道的晚间黄金时段节目进行内容分析，统计单个节目中男性与女性角色的平均比例。

研究的主要发现是什么？

各国节目总体呈现男性角色显著多于女性，且几乎所有国家（含印度）的节目性别比例都无法反映各自的人口结构或印度的普查人口结构。

Aug 28, 2026

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