Rita Tuzon. EVP, Business & Legal Affairs & General Counsel, Fox Networks Group. CR: FNG

Tuzon has had an extremely busy year, being integrally involved in 21st Century Fox’s merger agreement with Disney. She oversaw the operational business and legal aspects of the deal for the larger merger team as well as the transitional planning for the businesses moving forward. That’ll continue to be her focus for the foreseeable future as she aids in bringing the transaction to a close and advising the newly combined unit on business decisions in the aftermath. For Tuzon, the most dramatic recent change in the media business has been that “people are increasingly talking about diversity in the workplace and on screen as a positive, not a box to check.”

A February 2018 UCLA study revealed that of the 45 new scripted shows approved for 2017-18 across broadcast, cable and digital platforms, only four were from creators of color, all of whom were black. What is your reaction to this report?
Four is better than zero but clearly a lot of work still to do on the content side.

What’s a recent example of a step forward for diversity in the industry?
Box office success and critical acclaim for content driven by creatives of color demonstrates that viewers are embracing these projects, and will hopefully give mainstream media the confidence/fear to expand to meet these audiences

What’s been the most dramatic change in your sector of the business today vs. three years ago?
People are increasingly talking about diversity in the workplace and on screen as a positive, not a box to check.

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