Cablefax The Magazine - October 2021 - 7

Byron Allen
Founder/Chairman/CEO | Allen Media Group/Entertainment Studios
Allen put the pressure on advertisers this year through his Black Owned Media Matters initiative, and it paid
off. Numerous corporations increased their commitments to allocate advertising dollars to Black-owned
media companies, such as AMG/ES and Urban One. Advertisers such as General Motors, Target and ad
agency Interpublic Group said they intend to pay more attention to Black-owned media outlets. Interpublic's
media-buying unit said it expects to spend a minimum of 5% of its clients' advertising budgets in Black-owned media by 2023.
Allen pulled his own weight in the campaigns as well, hosting multiple Black Owned Media Matters webinars sponsored by industry
publications like Adweek, Cynopsis and TV Newscheck. " I sat at my desk for close to 18 months, for 12 hours a day, and spoke to all of
the advertising agency holding companies, the advertising agencies, and most of their clients via Zoom, to get them to provide true
equity and inclusion in their advertising budgets for Black-owned media, " he says. " This historic transformation in the advertising
industry will grow the Black-owned media ecosystem forever. "
Cesar Conde
Chairman | NBCUniversal News Group
Conde boldly launched the " Fifty Percent Challenge " initiative in July 2020 with a goal to reach the point
where 50% of NBCU News Group employees are women, and 50% of its total workforce are people of color.
" As a news organization, it is important that we set the gold standard for journalism that reflects and represents
all the communities we serve, both on and behind the camera, " he says. In January, Conde introduced
NBCU Academy, a multi-platform journalism training and professional development program that allows college students-many
from traditionally underserved groups-to learn from NBCU journalists. " These initiatives will help us create a diverse and inclusive
workplace and provide opportunity and access to train the next generation of journalists, content creators, storytellers and news leaders, "
he says. Progress is being made. Rashida Jones was tapped as the president of MSNBC, making her the first Black executive to
lead a major television news network, and Joy Reid made history as the first Black woman hosting a primetime cable news show.
Rhonda Crichlow
SVP & Chief Diversity Officer | Charter Communications
Diversity and inclusion aren't just buzzwords to Crichlow. She is dedicated to creating a more equitable and
representative world. " I work hard every day to help build understanding across our organization-and support
others in leading and championing change. It is a complex, and, at times, challenging job, but one that
I'm extremely passionate about, " she says. In the past year at Charter, she focused on enhancing workforce
representation, especially in leadership roles. Crichlow is also community-minded. She has been involved with Charter's $10 million
investment in/partnership with the National Urban League and the National Action Network to support Black and other minorityowned
small businesses, and in expanding programs like the Spectrum Community Investment Loan Fund, which provides loans
to diverse businesses in underserved areas. Crichlow believes it is the job of industry leaders to support not only DEI programs, but
also the employees themselves. " Our employees are being affected by a myriad of issues we continue to grapple with in society, "
she says. " It is our job to build cohesive teams that drive our businesses and serve our customers, and in order to do so, we need to
keep working at building environments where our employees feel seen, heard, valued and respected. "
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