NHMC Issues Open Letter on Lack of Latino Inclusion at PBS

PBS' historic under-inclusion of Latinos is reflected not only in its employment practices, with Latinos being overlooked for new projects and initiatives, but also the underrepresentation of Latinos in its programming, and an alarming lack of transparency about the situation. Given PBS' lack of transparency, NHMC cannot know all facts pertaining to Latino inclusion at PBS. Here are the facts as NHMC understands them:

• There are no Latinos in senior positions at PBS;
• With Suarez' departure, no Latinos occupy senior positions at the "NewsHour" and, more generally, "NewsHour" is severely lacking Latino anchors, senior correspondents and producers;
• There are few, regular, Latino-focused programs on PBS;
• Latinos are underrepresented on PBS' Board of Directors, with only two on the twenty-six-member body;
• In 2005, the Ford Foundation made a substantial grant to PBS to promote a number of diversity initiatives, including hiring an individual to spearhead inclusion for the networks. As evidenced above, the results were underwhelming.

Recently, the National Latino Media Council, of which NHMC serves as secretariat, proposed the signing of an MOU to address PBS' Latino diversity deficits. PBS rejected that MOU and proposed a vague and meaningless two paragraph offer in its place.

For years, National Latino Media Council member organizations have toiled, to no avail, to make PBS more responsive to the needs of the nation's Latino population. NHMC calls on the Latino community to make it known to PBS that its casual indifference to Latino community concerns is flagrantly disrespectful and that it must expediently address these concerns and agree to the following remedial actions:

• Sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Latino Media Council that sets specific goals and timetables for the equitable inclusion of Latinos in programming, contracting and employment at PBS;
• Hire Latino senior journalists for its "NewsHour" bureaus in Washington, D.C., New York and other local offices;
• Publicly release annual equal employment opportunity data with the necessary granularity to track and assess Latino inclusion initiatives;
• Commit to increase its news and entertainment programming geared specifically to issues affecting the Latino community by increasing its collaboration with Latino independent producers and talent;
• Paula Kerger, president of PBS, and Linda Winslow, executive producer of "NewsHour," must explain not only how PBS could allow such an important Latino talent like Suarez to be marginalized, but also why PBS has been failing to include the Latino community in its ongoing programming and other operations.

If PBS is not prepared to take these measures, NHMC will convene a meeting with National Latino Media Council members to consider whether public support and federal funds for PBS remain in the best interests of diverse communities and particularly the Latino community.

To voice your concern to PBS please contact Paula Kerger, president and CEO, at pkerger@pbs.org (copy corporatesecretary@pbs.org) or 703-739-5000. To voice your concern to "NewsHour" please contact executive producer Linda Winslow at lwinslow@newshour.org or 703-998-2175.