CBS Sets Diversity & Inclusion Targets for Unscripted Shows

CBS has set a target for all future unscripted series to have casts with at least 50 percent of the contestants being Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), beginning in the 2021-22 broadcast season.

The network plans to allocate at least a quarter of its annual unscripted development budget to projects created or co-created by BIPOC producers, also starting in the 2021-22 season. CBS will develop future initiatives with its production partners to expand diversity in all of the creative and production teams involved in making an unscripted series.

“The reality TV genre is an area that’s especially underrepresented and needs to be more inclusive across development, casting, production and all phases of storytelling,” said George Cheeks, president and CEO for the CBS Entertainment Group. “As we strive to improve all of these creative aspects, the commitments announced today are important first steps in sourcing new voices to create content and further expanding the diversity in our unscripted programming, as well as on our network.”

These new initiatives build on the targets and commitments CBS unveiled in July for scripted programming, as the network pledged to allocate a minimum of 25 percent of its future script development budgets to BIPOC-created or co-created projects. CBS also set a target for its writers’ rooms to be staffed with a minimum of 40 percent BIPOC representation beginning with the 2021-22 broadcast television season, and a goal to increase that number to 50 percent the following season (2022-23).