Legislating Diversity

Regarding NAACP President Kweisi Mfume’s call for government regulation to increase diversity at the major television networks (“To Increase Diversity, NAACP May Encourage TV Network Regulation,” by Brian Lowry, Jan. 27):

We’ve recently seen governmental meddling with network television, inserting pro-drug-war propaganda into prime-time programs. Mfume wants to see a rule (read: federal law) similar to the Children’s Television Act, he says. I say: Where does it end? How about some good old-fashioned pro-war propaganda during our next military intervention?

This is one slippery slope I think we should consciously avoid, and one more reason why I always vote Libertarian.

KENNEDY GAMMAGE

Vista

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One of the reasons that Mfume argues for another quota system is that blacks watch more TV than whites. He appears to take a certain pride in the fact. Mfume thinks the networks should make their shows more appealing to blacks, so that presumably they will watch even more TV, and maybe smash the coveted 100 hours a week barrier. Then he can begin railing against the network executives for deliberately foisting their debilitating video narcotic on an unsuspecting African American community.

JIM REDHEAD

San Diego

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NBC President Bob Wright says that the diversity pool is “very small and is spread very thin,” but he’ll systematically seek out more minorities (Morning Report, Jan. 26). Well, Mr. Wright and the others at the networks have to go outside of their network system to see how much talent is out there.

They need to take a leap of faith. There is a huge pool of talented people not on the network lists and not represented, and therein lies the problem. Good old Catch-22: can’t get a job unless you’re network-approved and can’t get network-approved unless you’ve had a job at the network.

The classic example: 20 years of production experience, a director for eight, on a critically successful show for the last three (“The Chris Rock Show”), Latin and female, and have been told over and over the networks won’t approve me. Go figure. There is something amiss in the system, and it appears to be someone who knows how to seek out and develop the talent.

LINDA MENDOZA

Sherman Oaks