NAACP Pledges to Keep the Pressure On

The NAACP and other minority groups will continue to pressure TV networks on cultural diversity issues, and soon will expand those efforts to cable networks and film studios, said NAACP President Kweisi Mfume Friday in an interview prior to the sixth annual Vision Awards, which honor diversity in cable programming.

“Our mission is still focused, and the NAACP has no desire to be like the circus--we’re not packing up and leaving town,” said Mfume, who later that night was presented with the Quasar Award, honoring an individual who has effected dramatic change in support of diversity within the telecommunications industry.

Mfume said the minority coalition, which includes Latino and Asian American groups who joined with the NAACP last summer to press for progress, is about to start preliminary reviews of the progress thus far on the recent diversity agreements with ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox.

He added, “I’m sure we’ll also have something to say when the networks announce their new fall shows in a few months.”

The four networks made the pacts after Mfume and a coalition of minority advocacy groups criticized the lack of minorities on prime-time shows premiering this season.

“We’re not going to be just bean-counting,” he said. “We’re looking at the availability of opportunities.”

Mfume also blasted the dearth of minorities covering sports for networks and appearing on the Sunday morning news shows.

Said Mfume, “Ninty-seven percent of the guests on the Sunday shows are white. They tell us those shows are low in demographics. But we say they are extremely high in influence.”

The NAACP and the coalition are still planning to conduct a study of diversity on the smaller WB and UPN networks, followed by a similar study on cable networks. In an NAACP report card released last week, the cable industry received a “C,” and Mfume knocked the cable industry for its dealings with the African American business community and for doing only minimal business with black vendors.

“What we did last week was only the beginning,” he said. “We’ll be doing an annual assessment on the cable industry.” The NAACP study focused more on cable companies and providers than programmers such as HBO or BET.

However, cable programmers’ treatment of minorities was criticized during the ceremony, which was held at the Beverly Hills Hotel and sponsored by the National Assn. of Minorities in Cable.

Event organizers last week had charged that although cable has traditionally done a better job than the broadcast TV industry of presenting shows, series and specials that show widespread diversity, minorities are still sorely underrepresented in the executive ranks of cable networks and in decision-making roles that would affect programming.

Kyle Bowser, who founded the awards, made a joking reference to his statement last week that the industry was going to get “spanked” during the awards because of the lack of diversity. While up on stage, Bowser removed his belt and held it up to audience laughter.

Bowser said he wanted to point out that less than 1% of cable programming throughout the year on the 21 cable networks that have 24-hour-a-day programming has minority themes or characters. “There’ll be no spanking, just the facts,” he said.

Among those recognized were actress Rita Moreno, who was presented with the North Star Award for her lifetime achievements in projects that reflect diversity.

Other honorees included HBO’s “Chris Rock: Bigger & Blacker” special for best comedy and HBO’s “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge” for best drama.