BIG ASIAN-AMERICAN MEDIA DEAL

 WASHINGTON  --  Comcast and NBC Universal (NBCU) have reached a historic agreement with leading Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) organizations including Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), East West Players (EWP), Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), OCA and Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA).

With AAJC leading the group with negotiations, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) serves as a commitment by Comcast and NBCU to increase the inclusion of Asian Americans in media and also within their corporations in five key areas: corporate governance; employment/workforce recruitment & retention; procurement; programming; and philanthropy and community investments.

"Until now the door of access to media participation has been virtually closed to Asian Americans," said Floyd Mori, JACL's national executive director/CEO. "This agreement is a great beginning of cracking open opportunities for the general public to see Asian American talent and our role in the community at large."

Comcast has already announced the launch of Cinema Asian America, a new On Demand destination featuring Asian American content that reflects the diversity and depth of Asian American culture and its cinema. The new offering gives Comcast digital video customers access to classics, award-winning movies featured on the film festival circuit, and short- and feature-length works with genres ranging from documentary to experimental. The JACL applauds Comcast and NBCU for acting timely on establishing an Asian American Advisory Council and allowing for community input as to who should serve on the Council.

JACL issued the following statement:

The JACL would like to thank the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) for their leadership and support for this agreement and their dedication to make media diversity a priority. The JACL looks forward to continuing to work in partnership with Comcast and NBCU on media issues. For the full MOU, visit here

About JACL
Founded in 1929, the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) is the oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization concerned with issues of education, public policy and leadership development. With 113 chapters in 26 states, the JACL is a prominent voice for the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community on issues that affect the well-being of the community. As a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization, the JACL promotes public awareness about the history and achievements of AAPIs, identifies and trains youth for leadership and service and pursues public policy issues that affect the AAPI community. The JACL headquarters is located in San Francisco with additional offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and Washington, D.C.