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."
