July 23, 1999
By Lynn Elber
AP TELEVISION WRITER
PASADENA - WB and UPN vowed to include minority characters in their series despite a trend toward all-white broadcast television.
``We think it's good business for us,'' WB Chief Executive Officer Jamie Kellner told the Television Critics Association annual summer gathering Tuesday.
WB in its early days relied heavily on black-oriented sitcoms such as ``The Jamie Foxx Show,'' but its new fall series are stocked with young white characters - as is the case with the big four networks, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox.
In introducing shows under development, WB highlighted a series from writer-producer Yvette Lee Bowser (``Living Single,'' ``For Your Love''), a comedy-drama about a young African-American woman.
``The Miseducation of Piper Fein'' has been in the works off and on for three years, Ms. Bowser said. Asked if its creation was accelerated because of the current controversy, she replied: ``Not at all.''
The exclusion of minority characters is an ongoing problem, Ms. Bowser said. ``But a change is going to come,'' she added, because minorities are increasingly aware of the impact a ``homogenized'' culture can have on society.
None of the 27 new comedies and dramas debuting on the top four broadcast networks this fall has a minority character in a leading role, and few include them in supporting roles.
``Obviously, all the complaints are real,'' said producer Bruce Helford (``The Drew Carey Show''). He was on hand at WB's session Tuesday to promote a sitcom he is developing for the network.
At the UPN session Monday, which kicked off the broadcast network portion of the critics' meeting, the network's president and chief executive officer, Dean Valentine, was asked if advertisers discount the value of black shows.
``No, we haven't found that to be the case,'' Valentine said, noting that UPN has stuck with black-oriented comedies in the fall season and so could be enjoying ``the luck of the marketplace.''
``I think there's a lot of people who want to reach that audience, and I think it's a mistake to cut them out of the broadcast spectrum.''
The critics' meeting continues through Aug. 1.
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