ViacomCBS is launching a dedicated
diversity and inclusion website that sheds light, for the first time, on the combined company’s workforce demographics following the merger of Viacom and CBS,
Variety has revealed. The portal is an effort to promote diverse hiring and long-term inclusion initiatives.
According to data collected as of July 31, 2020, 63.8% of the company’s 16,612 domestic employees are white, and 11.6%, 11.3% and 10.3% identify as Hispanic or Latino, Black or African American and Asian, respectively. ViacomCBS’ senior leadership is also predominantly white; less than 25% are executives of color.
Emphasizing its commitment to improving diversity and inclusion on and off the camera, ViacomCBS’ website outlines its employee programs that promote conversations on belonging and advancement, as it looks to focus on social justice and equity issues and offer more opportunities to underrepresented talent.
This new digital space is an extension of the company’s longtime efforts to improve diversity and inclusion in the workplace. In September, the network kicked off its annual
inclusion week tackling racial representation and gender parity head on.
“This year, our goals are to continue this cadence of intentionality around [demonstrating to] our employees our commitment to championing a culture that’s diverse, inclusive, and that actually creates a sense of belonging for them,” Marva Smalls, ViacomCBS’ global head of inclusion, told Variety at the time.
“We also see it as a way of establishing a competitive landscape as a company that’s willing to not only have a steady drumbeat, but also especially now in the zeitgeist of a moment, to really build a tool kit for managers and employees alike, to become even smarter and well-versed and more informed in this space,” she added.
Other initiatives across the network include Nickelodeon’s artists and writers programs and ViacomCBS’ writers mentoring program and directing initiative that seek to open doors for women and Black, Indigenous and people of color. Earlier this month, MTV Entertainment Group also committed $250 million over the next three years to fuel content from production companies operated by women and people of color.
ViacomCBS' Inclusion website also filters the Key Content Initiatives per brand, including Nickelodeon:
"The Nick programs are among the best in the business and offer underrepresented creators with unique voices and from underrepresented communities opportunities to develop their skills, get professional development and launch careers. A spot in the Nick Writing Program gives participants exposure to seasoned writers and executives and a chance to embark on a career as a writer for Nickelodeon’s scripted live-action and animated television productions. Similarly, the Nick Artist Program offers aspiring artists from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to hone their skills while working on our animated television shows in three tracks: storyboard, general and computer graphics generalist."
"Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and Noggin have a long track record of nurturing and bringing to the screen programs that celebrate diversity and inclusion, such as Dora the Explorer, a global phenomenon that has crossed social, racial and language boundaries and has a following of millions of children around the world. The networks continue this tradition with Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan, The Casagrandes, Santiago of the Seas and the revival of All That."
Visitors can also find which out which inclusivity awards ViacomCBS's portfolio has won, including Nickelodeon winning the Best Children’s Programming award for
The Loud House at the 2019 Imagen Awards, and Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies'
Dora and the Lost City of Gold picking up the Best Feature Film, Best Director (Feature Film; James Bobin) and Best Actress in a Feature Film (Isabela Merced) awards at
the 2020 Imagen Awards.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon News and Highlights!
