Congresswoman Maxine Waters rips into NBC Universal's Jeff Zucker over lack of diversity

Fiery Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) took NBC Universal Chief Executive Jeff Zucker to task for the lack of African American actors and shows on NBC.

In a hearing held by the House Judiciary Committee on the proposed $30-billion marriage between cable giant Comcast and NBC Universal, Waters used her time to question Zucker about why the network has not done better in creating shows that would appeal to the black community. 

"Is there some assumption that black programming is not profitable?" Waters asked Zucker. "Not at all," he replied. Why then, she wondered, are there no shows on NBC aimed specifically at black viewers? She noted that Tyler Perry has created very successful movies and TV shows.

Zucker tried to point out that the network had a history of successful black shows, but Waters wasn't up for a trip down memory lane.

"That was then and now is now," she said, adding, "Black viewers deserve the kind of content they feel good about. ... I don't understand why you don't pursue it and why you don't do it."

Waters pressed Zucker to do a better job on reaching out to African Americans and then asked Jean Prewitt, president of the Independent Film & Television Alliance who was testifying against the Comcast-NBC Universal deal, whether her group could help Zucker out so "they are not sitting here in 2010 with no black programs."

Prewitt said that was possible but that the network would have to "sit on its hands" when it came time to negotiate deals.

Programming from diverse sources was one of the subplots of this hearing. Although much of the discussion was similar to hearings held earlier this month, there was also a heavy focus on how media consolidation has made it tough for independent producers to get shows on broadcast and cable television.

Zucker, whose NBC network is struggling in the ratings, kept saying he was interested in quality shows and didn't care where they came from.

Waters said she'd be willing to "call all my friends in the industry and set up a meeting with you." 

Coming to Zucker's rescue later in the hearing was Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), who mentioned Al Roker's prominence on NBC. That gave Zucker a chance to mention Bryant Gumbel's role on "Today" and Lester Holt's role with MSNBC.

"I think we've done a good job. It'll never be perfect," Zucker said to Cohen.

-- Joe Flint

Photo: Maxine Waters in October. Credit: Charles Dharapak / Associated Press

Comments

[Stop with the race stuff]

Maxine Waters.......how divisive can one person be? Stop with the race talk please. My kids look at everyone equal, but this constant rehashing of everything back to the Civil War keep the embers stoked. Learn, move on and everyone go out, get educated, work hard and work together. Or, how about we have a rule that the NBA can only be 50% black? Can't you see how counterproductive, silly and ridiculous this kind of race talking is...?

[masterpuff theater]

Doesn't the congresswoman represent more than black constituents? How come Rep. Waters doesn't say anything about her Korean constituents? And why should a national Network tailor a show for a particular race? We all agree there should be more diversity on TV, but not by using some special interest arm twisting, or some quota system.

[bat22]

More diversity amongst mainstays on shows is a good goal to shoot for but I'd prefer Waters go to the bat for non-white groups in general than her peeps in particular.

[Bob Long]

What I want to know is why these Democratic lawmakers aren't ripping the network and their GOP counterparts for NBC's practice of union busting at its owned and operated broadcast stations. Thousands of local TV news producers, writers and editors have been thrown out of work at KNBC, WNBC in New York, WRC in D.C. and WMAQ in Chicago. In each shop, NABET represented employees were systematically fired and replaced with union-exempt "content producers" who performed the exact same duties as the fired writers, producers and editors. Same job, different title without the union wages or job protection. NABET has filed numerous complaints with the NLRB. But so far, that's one of the agency posts that President Obama has been unable to fill, thanks to a filibuster by GOP senators on Capitol Hill. NBC has been understandably mum on the whole affair.

[The Cos]

Until I see a White Entertainment Television Network (WET) or see a White History Month celebrated one month out of the year, I'm through listening to this worthless argument.

[natasha]

Cos you are still the majority in this country and as usual you have blinders on to history and the way people of color are treated in this country. And the way we a represented on TV. Wow you people really astound me with your racist crap!

[Stop with the race stuff]

See Natasha, just the kind of response that sets it all off, using the race card. Yes, historically it was terrible. But it is soooo much better and will continue to all go away if the types of comments you made would stop happening. Some would argue that there is a great deal of reverse discrimination happening. I say, let's stop talking about it and focus on all the good. This could happen if people like yourself would move on.....

[Andy Halmay]

I have saved a letter from Thurgood Marshall, then head of the NAACP, sent to me in 1954, commending me for my help in stamping out racism. At that time I had to direct my efforts at white racists. I'm still down on racism but now, it seems, I need to address black racists such as Ms Waters - who is all wet in the head. It is black racists such as Ms Waters who will make it most difficult in the future for decent blacks to get elected. Hopefully, blacks and whites who voted for her the last time will have the good sense to correct their mistakes the next time around. America needs Representatives of her caliber as much as we need a social disease.

[Mike]

Maxine Waters further cements her status as a joke.

What a frivolous exercise? Pressing Zucker to the point where he literally has to do a roll call of the black talent on NBCU properties? Ask Lester Holt, Roker, and Gumbel if they think Waters is being progressive or just the race baiting moron that she continues to be. What an embarrassment for her district.

Maybe she can nationalize NBC as that's her go-to move.

[george]

So COS can say whatever he wants, and it's Natasha who plays the race card huh? How hypocritical can you be? The fact that minorities are relegated to certain 28 or 30-day periods to celebrate their history and culture is ridiculous. Why not include ALL history and ALL culture 365 days of the year. Network television will not do it! So, there's one "token" show every 10 years, or one or two "token" commentators sprinkled throughout - so what? We are still bogged down with the same old stereotypical "good looking", "smart", "sexy" people on just about every show on every network. But the good news is it's only a matter of time. As this country continues to shift towards minority majority, what's considered culturally popular and aesthetically pleasing will change. Stay tuned...

[Ricardo]

Now we have a Government Official practically dictating to a television network what should be on their programming schedule. She wants to play the numbers game and other members of Congress and fearful of being labeled "racist" if they dare challenge her assumptions as to how to run a profitable (?) TV net.

According to the Congresswoman, Black people are not interested in National TV because of the lack of Black programming. Ask Nielson about what various groups watch. Be surprised Ms Waters.

[Stop with the race stuff]

That's pitiful George. The angry, vengeful undertone of your comments are a sad harbinger of things to come. Cos's comments weren't racist, (there's that word again) they were expressing his and most peoples frustration with the incessant whining going on about equality. My god, the majority of the people in our country have a live and let live attitude, it doesn't matter what your background. Yes, there is a shift going on, that's obvious. It's happening because of the tolerance, sacrifice and sense of justice of the millions of people who have died fighting for what is right. From the Civil War to the Civil Rights, blacks and whites, fighting side by side. Remember that as you spew your hatred. There are just as many black racists as there are whites, thankfully both are becoming few and farther between. This process will only accelerate if people like yourself wise up and let go of your misplaced anger.

[JREE]

African Americans don't care anything about television these days especially with nothing but immoral content flowing over the airwaves for the last 25 years. Who sits around spending their time watching network TV other than those Family Guy type fans. Somebody need to let Maxine Waters know that the African American people would rather spend their time being out in the community serving their fellow citizens.

[Verballistic]

I'm no Maxine Waters fan, but I find it very fitting that the network she blasts for lack of racial diversity is also the most liberal of the big 4 broadcast groups in the country. Liberals rarely do a good job of practicing what they preach...their motto is more like "do as we SAY and not as we do".

I wonder how many blacks MSNBC leftist Keith Olberman has on his staff, or other minorities for that matter? It wouldnt surprise me a bit if there arent any...

[anthony bozeman]

It's all about the money if somebody can come up with a great show they will put it on the air.

[george]

Now I'm the one who's racist? ok. It's a shame people will never know what it's like to be left out or omitted will always have that "get over it' mentality. I'm just saying that TV should be EOO - A reflection of EVERYBODY and not just the same stereotype over and over and over again. If that's racist, then "call me a proud racist." Although I honestly don't think I said anything racist. Some people won't understand because they've never had to see the world through someone else's lenses.

[The Cos]

Natasha: I'm still in the majority? Who says I'm white? I was simply proving a point.

Think [outside the box]

[GiveMeABreak]

I for one am sick and tired of the term "diversity" only applying to African-Americans. I've been in the business over thirty years and, as far as I'm concerned, their community is very well-represented in the entertainment world no matter how much Maxine Waters complains - heck, Paula Madison is African-American, for God's sake. Hey Maxine, how about your other minority constituents, particularly Hispanics, whose purchasing power is going through the roof, yet are practically invisible on the the big and small screens. Can you include me among your "friends in the industry" when you set up that meeting????

[george]

But, "Give me a break", you do agree that film & TV lack diversity in general right? We're not imagining that there seems to be a void in that department, right

[mel0891]

It’s interesting that when "others" are frustrated with their own lack of representation in media they lash out at blacks as if blacks are responsible for fighting their battles, or that blacks run the networks and studios (funny how there’s little complaint to those people). I don't hear anybody else taking up the concern of blacks besides blacks, so if you’re dissatisfied then you complain or go to your so-called "leaders." If you're OK with your representation, then fine. Shut up and let black people determine whether they are fine with theirs or not.

And for those of you who claim to be tired of hearing this type of concern, why did you bother to read and respond to this article? The title is pretty self-explanatory. You racist apologists are disingenuous, hypocritical, and perpetuate the very thing you claim you don't like. And yes, you are racist. I don't mince words or sugarcoat reality, and no amount of whining about the race card will change what you are.

Finally, why am I not shocked to once again see this infantile argument about White Entertainment Television? No complaints about network for gays, women, "Hispanics", but somehow the mere presence of BET - founded at a time when MTV refused to play black videos - somehow justifies the practical exclusion of black programming from 99.9% of the rest of TV. Or the whole "NBA" argument, as if actors are chosen only based on quantitative performance measures as athletes are; only someone totally ignorant of the programming and casting processes would say something this silly. Please, keep posting this ignorance posing as rhetorical genius. It's comedy.

[White Flight]

Who votes for this woman term-after-term and keeps a straight face? Really...

[Leman]

Mrs. Water has every right. First off BET is not White owned and has been for a very long time. When it was Black owned it put out quality African American shows. Once whites bought it, it took on a new life/agenda to aim at young Blacks with shows that glamourized gang life, Black women as whores, drug dealing, sagging pants, shooting and violent rap music. Mrs. Waters speaks up for Blacks because that the community she represents and because that is the group of people that the media still chooses to treat and show as negative only. If you ever what to see if racism is still alive, have an African American speak out against racism and the white racists come out of the wood works to complain. The phrase race card is only a smoke screen thrown up to throw people off the scent of true white racist acts that are now done more undercover than in the past. Everyone knows that racism is a white man's disease. It is commonly said that many Hollywood insiders have admitted there is currenly a Hollywood pacts int he industry not to show African Americans in the media in a positve light. Hence, the lack of decent Black shows anymore.

[Brandon Johnson]

Stop with the race stuff?!?! Everything is equal now and if we just stop talking about it, everything will be fine? You people are seriously naive if you think things are fair and equal in 2010. Do you people know that a noose was found at UCSD last month in the school library? Do you know that white students there organized a party called "Compton Cookout" which openly mocked black culture and that it was held during Black History Week? These events are taking place in California universities - I can only imagine what's happening in the South. Racism is alive and well in this country no matter how badly you want to hide from it.

[christina Pinto]

The show making the band has this black host asking a white girl who dances well whether she has any black or hispanic blood inside her or in her family. Why hasn't he been called to task!! If a black was questioned on a matter such as this how long before the anger would come pouring in!!