Fox eliminates diversity department

Diversity Dead at FOXThe entire FOX Diversity Los Angeles staff has been let go.

Judging from the FOX website, Diversity no longer exists as a department. The page jumps to “Audience Strategy.” Nicole Bernard was recently installed as Senior Vice President of Audience Strategy, and all staff formerly under the retired Mitsy Wilson (VP Gerald Alcantar, Executive Director Jerry Jacobson, Program Coordinator Michelle De Armas, Manager Janice Tanaka, and Assistant Devon Augustine) was dispensed with as of June 9.

The future of programs such as the beleaguered FOX Writer’s Initiative program and the Online Casting Initiative are in doubt although the current web page lists that updates about the writing program will be made public in August. There has also been no word on outsourced programs with community organizations.

As reported recently, FOX will have the highest percentage of People of Color on its fall schedule compared to the other networks. And there’s no argument that the format of dispensation of monies to programs that fail to meet its investment is flawed. But the entire deletion of a department seems to re-install a barricade that had been long fought to tear down.The following posting shows the continued need for diversity efforts:

Diversity Stats for 2011-2012 TV SeasonThe percentage of approximately 23% people of color for ABC exceeds CBS’s 17% and NBC’s 22%, but not FOX, which has a percentage of 27.5% people of color employed next fall.The percentage of minorities in the US is now 36%. So minorities are underrepresented by about a third.

Moreover, almost all the minorities mentioned are in supporting roles. Only one seems to be a series star.

The total number of roles being tracked is in the 500 range. That means 5-10 of them should be Natives actors, hosts, judges, and professional dancers. That there are none is a problem.

For more on the subject, see No Indians at 2011 Oscars and Native Diversity 2010 Video.

Below:  Vanessa Minnillo, the new host of Wipe Out!