NAACP Threatens TV Boycott

There are still not enough high-profile minority stars on television. At a public hearing in Los Angeles, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People criticized the three networks for lacking ethnic diversity and threatened to boycott them, reports CBS News Correspondent Manuel Gallegus.

"The absence of any real effort on their part to develop a way out of this problem leaves us with one reality, and that is that they run the real risk of a sustained, focused and continuous consumer action," said NAACP president Kweisi Mfume.

He said the action could include "picketing and large-scale demonstrations in front of network headquarters, the offices of network-owned affiliates, and in front of the offices of their major and largest advertisers."

Les Moonves, the president of CBS Television, was the only network executive to attend.

"Fully 17 of CBS' 21 prime-time series feature minority actors or news correspondents in primary roles," said Moonves. "CBS is home to an impressive group of on-air minority talent. These are household names throughout America."

A recent study finds that African-Americans make up 16% of regular characters on the top six networks. Asians, Latinos and native Americans make up 3% and the numbers are lower when looking at CBS, NBC and ABC alone. The NAACP is considering starting its boycott at the first of the year.