TV Officials Deny That Networks Are Racist : Media: They tout progress in positive minority portrayals and in recruiting writers. Jesse Jackson says they aren’t doing enough, and threatens boycotts.

While acknowledging that more could be done to increase cultural diversity in television, representatives of the four major television networks on Saturday denied charges by the Rev. Jesse Jackson that the networks practice racism in front of and behind the camera.

Executives for ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox defended their policies during a conference at the Los Angeles Convention Center sponsored by Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition. The symposium, called “What’s Wrong With This Picture?: Organizing to Win Cultural Diversity in Television and Film,” was held to explore what Jackson termed a lack of minorities in positive roles on network television series and a significant absence of minorities and women among news anchors, on prime-time entertainment writing staffs and in key decision-making positions.

The network representatives--executives from the development, business, employee relations and administrative divisions--said progress had been made in increasing the number of positive minority portrayals in prime-time and daytime television series, and in the recruitment and training of Latinos and African Americans for writing positions.

Alex Allau, vice president of the ABC Television Network Group, noted that five of the network’s 16 current situation comedies feature all-minority casts, and said the shows reflect positive family values. Charisse McGee, vice president of prime-time series for NBC, said Latino writers are being recruited to work on several series.

However, after the comments, Jackson said he remained unconvinced that enough is being done by the networks, and that he was upset with the networks for not sending their top, decision-making executives to the conference. He repeated his threat to target the networks and advertisers with viewer boycotts if they did not immediately launch plans to improve ethnic visibility.

“None of the networks can deny that what has been going on is wrong, and we will not tolerate it anymore,” Jackson said. “These people here today weren’t decision makers, they report back to the decision makers. We want to meet with the presidents of all of the networks, and to see a plan of action and a timetable for putting that plan into place.”

Ticking off specific grievances against each network in turn, Jackson said: “At CBS, the eye seems to be blind to people of color. As far as Fox, this Fox cannot guard the henhouse. There is no minority purchasing office, or no corporate officer in charge of affirmative action. At NBC, there are serious deficiencies in hiring and in promotion on the corporate level. At ABC, we are tired of the advertised ‘air supremacy’ of all the white hosts on the Sunday morning news programs. That is not ‘air supremacy.’ That is race supremacy.”

He added that efforts would be launched to set up picket lines at stations in the top 50 television markets if the networks did not make plans to improve ethnic representation.

“We will use our minds and the pitter-patter of our marching feet until there is change,” he said.

Jackson said the boycotts of stations and advertisers would most likely take place during the November sweeps period, when networks put on special programming.

In an unscheduled appearance, Assemblywoman Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) addressed the conference’s luncheon crowd. She drew cheers when she spoke of the power of viewers against the networks, declaring, “Close them down! Close them down!”

About 200 people attended the conference. Much of the day was devoted to testimony by leaders of ethnic media watchdog groups, who said the networks continually ignore minority groups on television series or place them in stereotypical roles.