CBS, NAACP Work Out Development Deal
Arrangement designed to expand diversity of content creators
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CBS Television Studios and the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) have reached an agreement on a multi-year partnership to develop and produce scripted, unscripted and documentary content for linear television networks and streaming platforms.
CBS Television Studios will establish a team of executives to acquire, develop and produce programming. The partnership will focus on “producing premium content that expands the number of diverse voices contributing to an ever-evolving society, and by telling inclusive stories that increase the visibility and impact of Black artists in a growing media landscape,” according to CBS.
“An important way to diversify and grow our storytelling is to expand our horizons beyond the traditional studio-producer system,” said George Cheeks, president and CEO of the CBS Entertainment Group. “There is no better partner than the NAACP – the preeminent civil rights organization in our country – to help us find, develop and tell these inclusive stories. At the same time, this is a strategic opportunity for CBS to build upon as well as reimagine our pipeline for existing and emerging creative talent.”
The partnership involves developing content for CBS and selling programming to other networks.
“In this moment of national awakening, the time has never been better to further tell stories of the African-American experience,” said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP. “Programming and content have the power to shape perspectives and drive conversations around critical issues. This partnership with CBS allows us to bring compelling and important content to a broad audience.”
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Michael Malone is content director at B+C and Multichannel News. He joined B+C in 2005 and has covered network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television, including writing the "Local News Close-Up" market profiles. He also hosted the podcasts "Busted Pilot" and "Series Business." His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The L.A. Times, The Boston Globe and New York magazine.