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Hispanic advocacy groups meet with Comcast, NBCU on merger concerns
By Bob Fernandez Philadelphia Inquirer (March 2, 2010) Hispanic civil rights and advocacy groups met in Philadelphia yesterday with top executives at Comcast Corp. and NBC Universal Inc. to discuss Hispanic media issues related to the proposed $30 billion merger of the cable company and the entertainment giant. The meeting was part of the full-court press by Comcast and NBC to court favor with special-interest groups that might oppose the merger in Congress and at the Federal Communications Commission. D'Arcy Rudnay, senior vice president of communications at Comcast, said the meeting was private and was one of many Comcast was holding. "The meetings have been constructive," she said, noting they began about two weeks ago and are being held in several cities. Hispanic media issues typically involve complaints about a lack of Hispanic TV station owners, insufficient news and entertainment programming choices, and TV shows that reinforce negative Hispanic stereotypes, Hispanic officials said. NBC Universal operates the NBC and Telemundo television networks. Comcast declined to say which groups were represented at the meeting in the Comcast Center. But sources in the Hispanic advocacy community said that among the groups represented were the National Council of La Raza, the League of United Latin American Citizens, and the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility. Corporate executives present were Comcast chief executive officer Brian Roberts, NBCU president Jeff Zucker, Comcast executive vice president David Cohen, Comcast vice president Susan Gonzales, and NBCU chief diversity officer Paula Madison. Felix Sanchez, chairman and cofounder of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts in Washington, a 14-year-old nonprofit group that was not invited to the Philadelphia session, said there were few Hispanic voices on highly rated news shows such as NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday mornings, and that Telemundo has cut costs in local TV news operations under NBC's ownership. "I would be willing to see commitments made, but commitments have been made in the past, so one is skeptical of future promises," Sanchez said, referring to steps that might bring his support for the merger. Joe Torres, government relations manager for Free Press, a nonprofit group fiercely opposed to the merger, said, "Historically, media consolidation has been terrible for the Latino community. . . . We don't control our image, and other people are telling our stories." Go to Target Market News homepage RECENT STORIES Comcast, NBC grilled by Congress on lack of blacks in programming and news Tom Joyner plans for online school to cater to historically black colleges Radio One decides not to move its headquarters to Washington, D.C. site Arbitron issues annual study, Black Radio Today 2009 with PPM data for first time TV One launches on Verizon FiOS TV video on demand service Terrie Williams Agency, Ad Council team up on black mental health campaign Black Cable TV Ratings for Week of Feb. 15 - 21 Jill Scott in 'Sins of the Mother' gives Lifetime million and a half black viewers IMAGES USA, The Futures Co. debut first multicultural millennials study 4BlackYouth.com gives students a site with comprehensive success tools Black TV Ratings for Week of February 15 - 21 Winter Olympic games are must-see TV for everyone except black viewers |
15th Annual Edition 'Buying Power of Black America' report breaks down billions in expenditures  (January
19, 2010) Black consumers are responding to tighter economic
condition by focusing more of their spending on items and services
that improve their homes and lifestyle. That's one of the trends
revealed in the 15th annual report, "The Buying Power of Black
America," published by Target Market News. The report analyzes
spending for black households in 2008 and finds that
African-Americans...Story continued...  _________________________________________________________________________________________ |
