Each year, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), releases a report about what we at AfterElton cover every day – LGBT representation on television. But where we tend to try and take a qualitative look at what’s beaming into our living rooms every day, GLAAD’s annual report takes more of a quantitative approach.

Looking at TV numerically makes sense for an annual report – you can’t possibly deal with the nuances of each episode or the development of a character like we do when we start typing each day. But it also reminds me of what my college statistics professor said on the first day: Numbers can lie.

GLAAD separates cable and broadcast networks into different categories for their report, and that’s fairly significant. The report only looks at original programming for primetime hours, and excludes any syndicated programming. This means that while ABC is graded on producing 1,146.5 hours of television, the Top 10 cable networks combined produced only 1,212.5 hours of original programming. Therefore, one character on one show can really bump a cable network into double digit acceptability.

Broadcast Networks

It will come as no surprise to anyone here that ABC leads the pack of the five broadcast networks. The Alphabet Network airs AfterElton.com favorites such as Brothers & Sisters and Ugly Betty. Overall, 24% of the primetime programming on ABC features GLBT characters. Beyond our beloved Kevin & Scotty and Marc, GLAAD calls out Dr. Torres of Grey’s Anatomy, Andrew, Bob and Lee on Desperate Housewives, and Carmelita on the canceled Dirty Sexy Money.

CW comes in second at 20%, largely based on two cycles of America’s Next Top Model which features J. and Jay as judges, and broke ground last cycle with a transgender contestant. ANTM also gave CW top rankings on racial diversity. On scripted programming, they earned points for the gay demons on the canceled Reaper, as well as the barely-there characters on Gossip Girl and Privileged.

The Old Fogey Network, CBS, holds the dubious distinction of having zero GLBT characters on scripted programming for the entire year. If it weren’t for reality hits Survivor and The Amazing Race, Bill O’Reilly would find it perfect.

Which is ironic, since Fox managed to almost triple their LGBT impressions, from 4% last year to 11% this year. They largely managed that by putting the straight guy’s fantasy, the hot bisexual woman, on their top shows House and Bones.

They saved all talk of gays with penises for shows that GLAAD calls “bad” impressions, like Sit Down, Shut Up, Family Guy, and So You Think You Can Dance. Representation is evidently a double edged sword.

It should be noted that GLAAD gave Fox zero points for American Idol, because Adam Lambert didn’t “officially” come out until after the show.