Roy Cho

It has been a productive year for Cho, one in which he closed deals with Cable ONE and WOW!, and worked to secure the inclusion of Shudder and Sundance Now in Apple Channels. He also recently was included in the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications Luminaries Class. Cho is a firm believer that “the more we organically learn about each other, the more we realize how much we have in common. The worst thing we can do is alienate others under the guise of promoting diversity.”

Can you share a successful diversity program at your company or one you’ve observed at another company or organization?
Our company has a terrific Diversity & Inclusion committee that meets regularly and hosts amazing guest speakers who share their own experiences in the industry overcoming obstacles and prejudices. Just two examples of terrific guest speakers we’ve hosted recently with incredibly inspiring personal stories are George Takei and Bob Johnson. Learning that George Takei was a child during the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II (and that he and his family were relocated to internment camps) makes his involvement with “The Terror” Season 2 all the more fascinating, inspiring and emotionally resonant. And hearing about Bob Johnson’s success stories with BET and the creation of RLJE, which is now part of AMC Networks, underscored the universal importance of both seeking out mentors and taking risks. The more we organically learn about each other, the more we realize how much we have in common. The worst thing we can do is alienate others under the guise of promoting diversity.

Which current television show/s best embrace diversity?
One of my favorite shows right now is BBC America’s “Killing Eve” (with its two amazing female leads Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh). And as a Korean American and a longtime fan of Sandra Oh, it’s wonderful to see an actress of Korean descent receiving so much well-deserved recognition. I’m also just starting to get into HBO’s “Euphoria,” which combines visually powerful and emotionally compelling storytelling with incredibly talented young actors – who also happen to be diverse.”

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