Latino Media Coalition Targets Broadcast Nets On Diversity

Latino leaders meeting with top CBS executives last week were braced for a confrontation over a protracted scarcity of Latino actors and stories on the network’s prime-time shows.

“We said, ‘That’s it, no more’” in preparing for the encounter, said Alex Nogales of the National Latino Media Coalition.

Instead, reports PageSix at The NYPost, the coalition said in a statement Tuesday it found CBS has made “record commitments” to improved representation of Latinos, which Nogales said has galvanized the group to demand more from other networks.

“We’re going to be very militant from here on out. … The next target is Fox,” he said, with a meeting to be requested next week. Letter-writing campaigns and boycotts could be among the tools employed to push broadcasters to act, he said.

Fox didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Without releasing specific numbers per its agreement with CBS, the coalition said the network has doubled the number of Latino writers and cast members since 2016; agreed to order scripts from Latinos or with Latino themes, and will hear additional pitches from 10 Latino writers or producers.