CBS has announced that they have set aside 25% of their script development budget for projects created by Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC). The shift in finances is set to begin in the 2021-2022 production year.
“While steady progress has been made in recent years both in front of and behind the camera, change needs to happen faster, especially with creators and leadership roles on the shows,” CBS Entertainment Group President George Cheeks said.
“As a network with ambitions to be a unifier and an agent of change at this important time, these new initiatives will help accelerate efforts to broaden our storytelling and make CBS programming even more diverse and inclusive,” Cheeks continued.
In addition to setting aside a portion of the development budget, CBS will also look to increase BIPOC representation in their writers rooms to 40% beginning in 2021-2022. Furthermore, their goal is to increase the initial 40% to 50% by the following production season.
