CBS and NAACP announce partnership for diverse content
CBS Television Studios and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on Wednesday announced a multi-year partnership to develop new, diverse content.
The agreement entails the production of “scripted, unscripted and documentary content for linear television networks and streaming platforms,” it was announced.
George Cheeks, president and CEO of the CBS Entertainment Group, said in a statement provided to CNN that “an important way to diversify and grow our storytelling is to expand our horizons beyond the traditional studio-producer system.
“There is no better partner than the NAACP — the preeminent civil rights organization in our country — to help us find, develop and tell these inclusive stories,” he said. “At the same time, this is a strategic opportunity for CBS to build upon as well as re-imagine our pipeline for existing and emerging creative talent.”
As part of the agreement, CBS Television Studios’ leaders will work with the civil rights organization to establish a dedicated team of executives and infrastructure to acquire, develop and produce programming.
The partnership will also focus on producing premium content that expands the number of diverse voices by telling inclusive stories that increase the visibility and impact of Black artists.
“In this moment of national awakening, the time has never been better to further tell stories of the African American experience,” Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, said.
“Programming and content have the power to shape perspectives and drive conversations around critical issues. This partnership with CBS allows us to bring compelling and important content to a broad audience.”
The partnership will also allow for the selling of the programming to third-party platforms.
Four years ago, CBS was slammed for a lack of diversity in its programming with the viral hashtag, #CBSSoWhite.
Last year, former CBS executive Whitney Davis wrote an explosive letter published by Variety in which she accused the network of having a “White problem.”
