Events and Outreach
During the month of April 2008, CBS is providing classroom space at Television City for Streetlights, a nonprofit job training, job placement and mentoring program which provides opportunities for employment in the entertainment industry for economically or socially disadvantaged young minority men and women.
CBS was the guest of honoree Valerie Red-Horse at the annual National Association of Women Business Owners – LA “Leadership and Legacy Awards” luncheon in March 2008. Red-horse, an American Indian writer, producer and financial manager serves on the Advisory Committee of the American Indian National Center for Television and Film of which CBS is a founding partner. Red-Horse was inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame.
CBS was a sponsor of the annual USC Mexican American 34th Annual Scholarship Dinner in March 2008.
CBS participated in the 2008 NALIP conference at Dana Point, California in March of 2008.CBS Casting offered an Actor’s Workshop.
CBS was a major sponsor of the “Impact Awards” dinner of The National Hispanic Media Coalition in Los Angeles in February 2008.
CBS attended the forum “Artists and Activism” sponsored by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in February 2008. Hill Harper of the CBS series CSI: NEW YORK served as a panelist.
In January 2008 CBS Senior Vice President, Diversity, Josie Thomas was named to the Diversity Committee of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
The CBS Diversity Institute's Writers Mentoring Program kick-off event was held for program participants and CBS Entertainment creative executives in the Executive Dining Room of Television City in January 2008.
CBS participated in the “Lions of Industry” career seminar at Loyola Marymount University in January 2008.
CBS attended the panel discussion “Hispanics in Transition” at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in November 2007.
In October 2007, CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler hosted a mixer for members of the Asian American creative community and writers and producers from numerous CBS series.
COMMITTEE OF ASIAN AMERICANS IN ENTERTAINMENT (CAPE) – Were at CBS in the fall of 2007 for “TV Pitch Lab” a nuts-and-bolts introduction to the process of network television development conducted by Senior Vice President of Drama Development for CBS, Christina Davis. Panelists included: Quan Phung, Senior Vice President, Comedy Development, 20th Century Fox; Jae Kim, Vice President, Development and Production, the Mark Gordon Company and Steve Tao, Senior Vice President, Scripted Development, Fremantle Media.
CBS continues to serve as a Representative to the New York City Mayor’s Task Force on Diversity in Film, Television, and Commercial Production.
CBS participated on a panel called “Operation Win” at the USC School of Cinematic Arts in the winter of 2007 to talk with graduate students about CBS Diversity outreach. CBS will again participate in 2008.
CBS attended Howard University’s John H. Johnson School of Communications Board of Visitors Installation Ceremony where Josie Thomas, CBS Senior Vice President, Diversity, was installed.
CBS participated in the NALIP Latino Media Issues Forum in Los Angeles.
Josie Thomas, CBS Senior Vice President, Diversity continues to serve as a member of the NAACP Centennial Advisory Board. Also, Ms. Thomas again served as a member of the NAACP Image Awards nominating committee.
In December 2006, Josie Thomas, CBS Senior Vice President, Diversity served as a Co-Chair of the NOSOTROS Golden Eagle Awards in Beverly Hills. In October 2005, CBS was a sponsor of the Golden Eagle Awards. The Golden Eagle Awards dinner is the organization’s premiere event.
One of the pioneering Asian American cultural organizations in Los Angeles, Visual Communications, incorporated a workshop presented by CBS Diversity as part of its annual FilmFest in 2007. The workshop, which is titled “How To Make Effective Connections,” focused on training writers to be able to present their ideas in a forceful manner that will aid them in selling themselves to prospective employers. CBS will be a major sponsor of Filmfest in 2008.