Color by Fox: The Fox Network and the Revolution in Black Television

Following the success of "The Cosby Show" in the 1980s, an unprecedented shift took place in television history: white executives turned to black dollars as a way of salvaging network profits lost to video cassettes and cable T.V. Not only were African-American viewers watching disproportionately more network television than the general population but, as Nielsen realized, they preferred black shows. As a result, African-American producers, writers, directors, and stars were given an unusual deg…