While it is not yet taking a position on the Comcast/NBCU merger, the
Urban League does say that Comcast should be entitled to "great respect"
for its record on diversity issues, and says NBC has made "important
strides."
That is according to written testimony from Urban
League President Marc Morial, who is a witness at Thursday's House
Antitrust Committee hearing on the proposed Comcast/NBCU joint venture.
"Evaluations of its employment practices have been positive and it
has pro-actively invested in diversity programming such as [African
American-targeted] TV One," he says, while adding that the group is
"withholding" a formal endorsement pending "discussions with senior
management relating to diversity programming, employment, and other
issues at NBCU."
Morial also sites Comcast's pledges of new,
independent programming, which Morial says he expects to include
diversity programming.
Comcast has partnered with the Urban
League throughout the country, helping produce and air PSA's, says
Morial. He also gives NBCU a shout-out for "increasing the voices of
color" on the network and its co-owned cable news channels, though he
adds "much more needs to be done."
