August 15, 2001
By Anthony Breznican, Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- The NAACP renewed threats of a boycott unless television networks hire more minority actors and executives to produce racially diverse programs.

The civil rights group said the four major television networks - ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox - have made little progress since they promised last year to improve diversity on screen and behind the cameras.

The board of directors for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People plans to meet in October to consider a boycott.

The group first talked of a boycott two years ago, and NAACP President Kweisi Mfume said the group is tired of waiting and may finally take action.

"The NAACP is not prepared ... to announce that we are going to begin this decade with a sort of wait-and-see approach as it relates to network television," Mfume told a news conference Wednesday.

Mfume refused to identify which network the group may target, but said only one would be subject to the boycott.

"It is easier to selectively, surgically go after one network to drive home our point as opposed to trying to take a broad shotgun approach."

Other possible actions include using federal rules and the courts to mandate opportunities for minorities and asking the government to consider limits on network ownership of programming.

Eighteen months after networks promised the NAACP more diversity, many say the civil rights group's criticism is overly harsh.

Small gains were made in hiring minority actors for prime-time programs over the past year, according to a report released by the civil rights group, and networks say future programs will feature even more minorities.

"We will start the new fall season with a 12 percent increase in minority representation compared to last season, including a 4 percent increase among African-Americans," NBC said in a written statement. "Every one of our new shows has a diverse cast."

But the NAACP was angered over little change in minority representation in the executive ranks - those who have the ultimate authority to decide what is produced and aired.

"It is inconceivable that anyone could deny the existence of racism in an industry that after 50 years in business cannot point to one black, Latino or Asian-American who can 'greenlight' a film, hire or fire a director or producer or sign a development deal," Mfume said.

Michael Hunt, a struggling scriptwriter who's black, said he supports the NAACP.

"They won't even tell me if they don't like my idea," said Hunt. (He's trying to sell a sitcom idea he described as "a cross between 'The Beverly Hillbillies' and 'The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.'")

"All I'm asking for is a chance and some respect," Hunt said.

ABC spokeswoman Zenia Mucha pointed out that the network has added programs such as "My Wife and Kids," starring black actor Damon Wayans, who also writes and produces it.

Mfume said minorities most lack representation in news, public affairs and sports departments.

The NAACP report also claimed corporate boards at the networks' parent companies remained virtually all-white.

However, NBC and ABC disputed the report's claim that only CBS and Fox had ethnic members on their parent company boards.

Three minorities, including Sidney Poitier, are on the board of the Walt Disney Co., parent of ABC, said Mucha. NBC's parent company, General Electric Co., also has an integrated board, an NBC spokeswoman said.

ABC was criticized more harshly than other networks for what the NAACP called an "untenable" lack of network commitment to diversity efforts.

Officials at the network insist the criticism is unfair.

According to numbers supplied by ABC for the report, 33.6 percent of new hires at the network in the year 2000 were minorities, including a manager of prime-time programs.

Despite NAACP assertions that ABC did not supply specific figures on categories such as minority actors, the network did provide complete data, Mucha said.

Meanwhile, NBC had an 11 percent drop in the number of black actors in its prime-time series and a 18 percent drop in the number of Asian-American actors as of March 2001, the NAACP said.

Fox boosted the number of minority actors in prime-time series to 41 percent in the 2000-01 season, up from 24 percent in the preceding season.