Lawmakers, Networks Discuss TV Diversity

Ongoing concerns about ethnic diversity on network television dominated meetings Tuesday involving Washington lawmakers, network executives and leaders of minority advocacy groups.

About 30 members of the black, Latino and Asian Pacific American congressional caucuses emerged from a closed-door meeting here with the heads of diversity from ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox, expressing cautious optimism about the prospects for boosting minority representation on the small screen.

They heard progress reports from diversity heads Paula Madison of NBC, Mitsy Wilson of Fox, Josie Thomas of CBS, and John Rose, ABC vice president of human resources.

Members of Congress seemed generally impressed by the network presentations.

“I felt it went very, very well. This was our first real effort to reach out,” said Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, who called for the meeting. Johnson added that the TV industry was one of several industries with which she wanted to establish a dialogue concerning the involvement of minorities.

Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles), a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said, “It was constructive. You get the sentiment that they’re really anxious to try to continue to make progress, and that’s great.”

“The kind of people they have selected to head up their diversity programs seem to be very serious people,” added Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) of the black caucus. “They are about the business of change.”

But other lawmakers said more still needs to be done.

Rep. Ciro D. Rodriguez (D-Texas) said the networks stressed their existing diversity programs, which were “important.” But, he added, “I go home, and my constituency tells me, ‘That’s still not enough. We still don’t see any results.’ ”

Becerra said the networks did not offer any specific new initiatives to address minority underrepresentation.

“It was more a discussion of some of the things they’ve done and are working on.”

Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.), of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, said he sees a “continued oversight” role for the federal government in monitoring the progress of the networks.

However, Wu stressed that, while congressional legislation concerning the issue is possible, it is unlikely. “I don’t think there will be a need for legislation. I think there is a commitment, but the key is in the follow-through.”

Most of the network executives at the meeting declined comment. NBC’s Madison told reporters afterward: “[The meeting] was the beginning of a dialogue that we want to continue having.”

At the same time, ABC-TV President Alex Wallau and the head of diversity for the network’s entertainment division, Carmen Smith, met in Burbank with leaders of a multiethnic coalition formed two years ago to protest what they called the almost total exclusion of minority performers in prime-time series on the four major networks.

Wallau and members of the minority coalition declined comment on their meeting at ABC headquarters. The discussion came a few months after the coalition gave ABC the lowest grade of all the major networks for their sluggishness in casting minorities in their prime-time shows, as well as in hiring minority writers and executives.

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Gupta reported from Washington, Braxton from Los Angeles. Times staff writer Dana Calvo in Los Angeles contributed to this story.