If you owned or operated a major television network where one of your 'star' entertainers were vocally, day after day, encouraging and promoting divisive racially-charged rhetoric, would you stand idly by?
Apparently that is the position of NBC executives, who either a) cannot rein in said 'star' or b) are content to let the 'star' spew vitriol in the hopes of garnering higher ratings and expanding profitability margins (that they will not pay any taxes on, naturally).
So, how about a full court press on the owners and operators of the Apprentice franchise? Following the scathing rebukes in most legitimate news sources, including the news division itself, I'm left wondering if a collective group of similarly-minded people might engage the sponsors of both the program and the network in which it's housed.
Am I a fan of the political ineptitude in which our President has functioned? Not at all. Do I support him? Absolutely. I took a couple courses in my graduate studies about the way in which to enact change on a large scale. A common theme was to take advantage of 'policy windows', and on this measure I don't think there is much question that this administration has failed. But another theme was to allow issues to fester and for discourse to work its way to a point in which action is sensical.
In today's America, that is a tall order. When 67% of Republican voters either don't believe or aren't sure that our President is American, well...do the math. Add the millions of children in which their disdain (racially charged?) is promulgated and you have tens of millions of Americans. Enough to keep a despicable egomaniac on the air? Oh you bet! But until now this sad exception has been relegated to cable television, blogs, and conservative radio airwaves.
Possible questions might include - Does NBC Universal support a primetime entertainer who promotes racial divisiveness? Will Trump be included in NBC's 2011-12 television lineup? Does NBC stand behind the claims against our President?
Let me start here and if you'd like, in comments, find and include more of the following peoples contact info. In the future, where it hits the hardest, corporate sponsors advertising on the show.
Mark Burnett
Creative and Executive Producer of The Apprentice
Phone: 310-903-5400
Paul Telegdy
Executive Vice President, Alternative Programming, NBC Entertainment
E-mail: paul.telegdy@nbcuni.com
Phone: ASK FOR Lesley Cerwin 818-777-2888 or Lesley.Cerwin@nbcuni.com
Telegdy oversee's NBC's unscripted series and special programming, including The Celebrity Apprentice.
Kathy Kelly-Brown
Email: Kathy.kelly-brown@nbcuni.com
Phone: 212-664-3457
Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications & Media Relations, NBCUniversal
Kelly-Brown is responsible for developing and executing NBCUniversal’s media relations strategy and serves as a principal corporate media representative and spokesperson across NBCUniversal’s networks and business divisions as well as overseeing special executive projects.
Nate Kirtman
E-mail: Nate.kirtman@nbcuni.com
Phone: 818-777-3111
Vice President, Publicity. Kirtman oversees the group's overall media strategy, planning and communications efforts, which includes integrating east and west coast publicity endeavors, among other duties.
Rebecca Marks
NBC Entertainment
Executive Vice President, Publicity
E-mail: Rebecca.Marks@nbcuni.com
Phone: 818-777-3030
Nikki Lichterman
NBC Entertainment Publicity
Phone: 818-777-2845
E-mail: NIKKI.LICHTERMAN@NBCUNI.COM
Jamie French
NBC Entertainment Publicity
Phone: 818-777-2835
E-mail: JAMIE.FRENCH@NBCUNI.COM
Wendy Luckenbill
NBC Entertainment Publicity
Phone: 818-777-2839
E-mail: wendy.luckenbill@nbcuni.com
Mandy Ellis
NBC Entertainment Publicity
818-777-2846
E-mail: mandy.ellis@nbcuni.com
NBC Universal Entertainment Executives:
Stephen Burke
CEO and President
NBC Universal
Phone: 215-286-1700
Ted Harbert
Chairman
NBC Broadcasting
Marc Graboff
President, West Coast Business Operations
NBCUniversal Television Entertainment
Belinda Menendez
President
NBC Universal International Television Distribution
Barry Wallach
President
NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution
Jerry DiCanio
Executive Vice President, Production Operations
Universal Media Studios and NBCUniversal Television Distribution
Robert Fitzpatrick
Executive Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs
NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution
Frances Manfredi
Executive Vice President & General Sales Manager, Cable & Non-Theatrical Sales
NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution
And on and on and on...lots of executives! I would just like some accountability. As President Obama so clearly articulated, we have SOOO much more important things to address and instead we have this pompous anus perpetuating his ego and his ridiculousness for all the media to feast on. While the birth certificate gets pushed to the back burner, Trump now would like to move on to his education, GPA, validity of getting in to college. It won't stop until his series finale. In the meantime, please consider emailing or calling one or all of the above!