Craig Robinson

Thanks to Robinson’s leadership, at NBCU, people of color at the VP level and above, director level and manager level each increased in numbers by more than 50 percent between 2010  and 2015, and the number of women at each of these levels increased by more than 35 percent. That’s real results. Moreover, at the close of last year, 71 percent of Comcast NBCU’s new hires were diverse and 47 percent of VP or above leaders were diverse. Robinson has fostered eight different employee resource groups, including OUT@NBCUniversal for LGBT and Straight Ally employees, and has helped usher in more diverse programming including “The Wiz Live!”. He sees more work to be done. “While the industry has made tremendous progress in on-air diversity over the years, there is still much work to be done in diversifying the talent behind-the-camera,” he says.

What grade do you give the cable industry on diversity and why?
It’s very difficult to assign one grade.  While the industry has made tremendous progress in on-air diversity over the years, there is still much work to be done in diversifying the talent behind the camera.

What television show/s – cable or broadcast  – best embrace diversity?
A partial list for NBCUniversal would have to include NBC’s “Chicago” franchises, “Shades of Blue,” and “Superstore,” Oxygen’s “The Prancing Elites,” USA’s “Queen of the South,” and “Mr. Robot,” and NBC Nightly News, anchored by Lester Holt, Jose Diaz Balart and Kate Snow.  We have so many great examples across the portfolio.

Favorite charity organization you work with?
I am in awe of organizations that are dedicated to freeing the wrongly convicted like The Innocence Project.  To date, they alone alone have exonerated 343 people by DNA testing.  The work they do is truly life-changing.