8269: Comcast Broadcasts Its Diversity Plans.

Adweek reported Comcast has been wooing minority support for its merger with NBC Universal, promising increased targeted programming, diversity councils and other patronizing gestures. Why the hell isn’t anyone demanding the cable company pressure its advertising agencies to become more inclusive?

Comcast Looks to Af-Am Community for Merger Support
Cable company agrees to bring more diversity to its offerings

By Katy Bachman

Comcast has lined up support from three of the nation’s leading civil rights organizations for its proposed joint venture with NBC Universal. As part of a memorandum of understanding filed with the Federal Communications Commission, Comcast has agreed to add four new African-American owned-and-operated channels to its lineup; increase the distribution of two existing African-American channels; and continually improve diversity in the workplace and in communities. Comcast will also create a Joint Diversity Council.

The letter, from the heads of the NAACP, the National Urban League and National Action Network, follows a similar letter and memorandum of understanding between Comcast and five Asian American organizations.

“This agreement, along with similar agreements reach[ed] with the Hispanic and Asian leadership, will pave the way for Comcast to be a true leader, not just in the media and communications space, but in all of American industry,” said Payne Brown, vp of strategic initiatives for Comcast.

The support from ethnic groups comes as regulators work to complete review of the $30 billion deal.

Comcast has been hoping to close its deal with NBC Universal by the end of the year, but with time running out, that looks less and less certain. Both the FCC and the Department of Justice need to sign off on the deal.