Discrimination as a competitive device
Subtitle: the case of local television news
By: by Caitlin K. Myers.
Series: Discussion paper ;; no. 1802; Discussion paper (Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit : Online) ;; no. 1802
Publisher: IZA
Published: 2005
Place of publication: Bonn, Germany
Language: eng
Format: Electronic resource
Subjects: Consumers' preferences -- United States.; Competition -- United States.
Description: "Local news offers a unique look not only at customer preferences but also at the strategic response of firms to these preferences. This paper uses a combination of ratings data and newly gathered information on television stations in 25 U.S. markets to examine the decisions of competing firms and how customers respond to the journalists who appear on-air at the different stations in a market. The results indicate that there is a negative correlation between the racial, gender, and age composition of competing firms. Moreover, the ratings data suggest that the stations with relatively few blacks on-air are catering to the more discriminatory customers. While a similar result is found for age and gender, the reverse holds for other groups, suggesting possible tastes for diversity for Hispanics and Asians. Taken as a whole, the evidence supports a theoretical model in which firms differentiate via the characteristics of their employees in response to customer prejudice"--Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit web site.
Notes: Also available in print.
Includes bibliographical references.
Title from PDF file as viewed on 11/17/2005.
System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.