Tegna is facing allegations of racism within the company, as shareholder Standard General outlined charges in an SEC report filed April 8. 

Standard General said it received a letter from a Tegna staffer detailing incidents of racism, including one where a company vice president wore blackface at a company Halloween event in the early ‘80s, dressed as Michael Jackson, and was awarded for best costume. 

Another spoke of a Latina reporter, Kristen Aguirre, formerly of KUSA Denver, who was terminated for not working at “9News standards” 11 months after suffering a stroke.

Also Read: Citing Hoffman Withdrawal, Standard General Seeks Proxies for Tegna Board Seats

Latinx reporters at KUSA were required to disclose their immigration status when covering stories related to immigration, the letter said. 

It also said Asian reporters were instructed on how to apply makeup so their “eyes will look more Western.” 

The letter also mentioned that the media had reported on alleged discrimination at Tegna stations in Des Moines, Indianapolis and Tampa Bay.

The letter in the SEC report does not contain a signature. 

Tegna responded, “Increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) continues to be a top priority for Tegna across the company and at our 64 stations around the country. We have made significant progress in recent years, but our record is not perfect. However, the distorted picture of Tegna and its stations painted by Standard General to advance its ill-conceived proxy fight will not distract from our significant focus on DE&I as well as our strong financial performance.”

The statement continues, “Tegna’s Board of Directors, management team and station leadership continue to take concerted action to build a more diverse, equitable and inclusive Tegna -- all of which is publicly detailed here. 

“We have clear processes for promptly investigating and addressing inappropriate workplace conduct at all levels of the organization. We remain committed to ensuring that Tegna effectively serves and represents all of our communities.”

FTVLive.com previously reported the allegations against Tegna. 

Standard General, billing itself as “the largest active shareholder” of Tegna, noted earlier concerns related to an incident involving Tegna President/CEO Dave Lougee and Adonis Hoffman, saying the Tegna board “failed to conduct a thorough and independent investigation.”

Lougee apologized for a 2014 incident where he mistook Hoffman, former top FCC staffer, for a parking valet after the two sat near each other at an industry event. The episode was part of the reason why Hoffman withdrew his candidacy for a Tegna board seat.

Entertainment Studios/Allen Media Group CEO Byron Allen says the entertainment industry has to become economic partners with Black-owned media, and he’s willing to do what it takes to make it happen.  

Allen, who served as the keynote speaker Tuesday at the Multichannel News CultureX Conversations conference, said he’s not happy with advertisers like General Motors whom he claims do not do enough business with Black-owned media companies including his own media conglomerate, which features a suite of cable networks including The Weather Channel and 16 “Big Four” broadcast affiliated stations in 12 markets. 

Read also: Cover Story: Byron Allen Wants to Save the World 

“I’ve already declared that I’m going to sue Coca-Cola and McDonald’s because they don’t do business with Black-owned media,” he said. “What I’ve said is we’re not going to fix this by talking about it -- we’re not going to fix this by having conversations -- we’re going to fix it  through action. I’ve made it very clear … If you have an ad budget, make sure a minimum of 2% of your ad budget should go to Black-owned media, because that will create opportunities, inclusion and jobs -- even foster creativity. It’ll make a stronger business for all of us and a better industry, community and country.”

The potential legal action against advertisers is similar to lawsuits totaling $40 billion that Allen filed against Comcast and Charter in 2015 for alleged racial discrimination after they refused to carry Allen’s suite of cable channels. While those lawsuits have since been settled, Allen said there’s still work to be done. 

“I wanted to say in a very loud and clear way that we must have economic inclusion for Black-owned media,” he said. “We can’t spend as an industry $70 billion dollars licensing cable networks and none of it goes to Black-owned media. We have a great relationship now with all of the MVPD’s, but it was a conversation that needed to be had, and I’m glad we had it.”

Allen’s advocacy for economic inclusion for Black media was born from his own fight to be successful despite racial obstacles he says he experienced throughout his life, from his early childhood days growing up in Detroit in the 1960s through his move to Los Angeles with his mother in the 1970s, which served as his introduction to the entertainment business. 

While his mother worked at NBC as an intern as she attended UCLA Film School, Allen said he began to see the opportunities for himself in the entertainment industry, particularly after sitting in the shadows watching the production of such shows as The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Sanford and Son and Chico and the Man.

Allen began performing stand-up comedy at 14 and wrote for comedians such as Jimmy Walker, but said he soon realized the economic playing field was not level for everyone.  

“I found along the way that there were challenges. There were folks who felt like I should be paid a certain amount and that I should not be paid what my white counterparts were being paid … so I decided to learn the business side of show,” he said. 

Allen also spoke of another pivotal point in his career -- his friendship with legendary TV syndicator Roger King. After struggling to get stations to pick up his syndicated shows because he was a person of color, Allen said that King used his influence to get stations to do business with him. 

“I never had a problem having anyone return my phone calls again because of that -- you couldn’t be in business if Roger King didn’t allow you to be in business with his unbelievable  shows,” he said. “But it was unfortunate that he had to kick the door open, and then even after I started selling shows I realized there were a number of other issues. There was a big problem with racism in our industry and folks not leaning in and understanding how bad it is.” 

In particular Allen said his sales representatives experienced the industry’s bigotry first hand when negotiating with potential clients who were told that because Allen was Black, they would not do business with them. Despite the blatant racism, Allen encouraged his salespeople to continue to knock on those doors, just as he did when he started selling his shows.  

“I said to them that that’s not an excuse, that’s an obstacle,” he said. “You are going to have to go back and keep selling, and figure out a way to get around it. That resistance, that racism, is a part of my success.” 

Now Allen says he wants to make sure that his message of economic inclusion reaches the industry’s top executives so that others can succeed within the industry. “This isn’t about being tolerated -- this is about being partners,” he said. “You do that from the top -- that’s what the real leaders have to do from the top. You should know the Byron Allens, and all the Byron Allens in this beautiful country of ours, and how you can engage them, support them, nurture them.”  

He added, “I should not have endured or experienced what I have experienced simply because I’m Black. We have to be vigilant to make sure that we understand that that’s not who we are, and we are better than that. We’re going to do a lot more to make sure no one ever has this experience again.” 

 The History Channel will team with NBA All-Star Russell Westbrook to develop a documentary focusing on the 1921 Tulsa Massacre, the network announced Thursday during its Television Critics Association tour presentation.

The two-hour documentary, Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre, will launch this spring and will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the event in which more than 300 African-Americans were killed in one of  the worst acts of racial violence in American history, according to History. The documentary takes an in-depth look at the events of a century ago, from the birth of Black Wall Street to its catastrophic downfall over the course of two bloody days, and finally the fallout and reconstruction.

Westbrook will serve as executive producer of the documentary while Stanley Nelson (Freedom Riders) and Marco Williams (Two Towns of Jasper) will direct the series. 

Read Also: Beyond Black History Month

“The Tulsa Race Massacre was not something I was taught about in school or in any of my history books, Westbrook said in a statement. “It was only after spending 11 years in Oklahoma that I learned of this deeply troubling and heartbreaking event. This is one of many overlooked stories of African Americans in this country that deserves to be told. These are the stories we must honor and amplify so we can learn from the past and create a better future.”

History will also partner with Westbrook to develop an educational and experiential campaign focused on the history and legacy of Tulsa’s Black Wall Street. 

“The History Channel is committed to educating our audience about the past, its impact on the present and its role in shaping the future,” said Eli Lehrer, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming for History. “Nearly 100 years later, the emotions from the Tulsa Race Massacre are still embedded in the fabric of our society and this poignant piece of our history is sadly relevant now more than ever, as racially charged events unfold before us during our present history. I am honored to partner with Russell, Stanley and Marco to tell this harrowing story with an authenticity and dignity only they can bring.”

Facebook said it has banned a violent anti-government network under its Dangerous Individuals and Organizations Policy, a move that followed complaints from Capitol Hill. 

Related: Facebook Will Take Down Hate Speech from Politicians

"Today we are designating a violent US-based anti-government network as a dangerous organization and banning it from our platform," the social media site said in a statement. "This network uses the term 'boogaloo' but is distinct from the broader and loosely-affiliated boogaloo movement because it actively seeks to commit violence. For months, we have removed boogaloo content when there is a clear connection to violence or a credible threat to public safety, and today’s designation will mean we remove more content going forward, including Facebook Groups and Pages. This is the latest step in our commitment to ban people who proclaim a violent mission from using our platform." 

Facebook has begun more aggressively labeling and moderating its content under pressure from Washington, advertisers and others. 

The office of Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) pointed out that the announcement came only hours after Facebook got a letter from a group of senators, including Warner, pointing to "its failure to prevent the propagation of white supremacist groups online," including boogaloo, three members of which reportedly plotted to bring molotov cocktails to a Black Lives Matter protest. 

AT&T chairman Randall Stephenson said that collective bargaining agreements secured by police unions have to be on the table in any approach to law enforcement reform, part of what he signaled was an overdue effort to address systemic racism.

That came in an online open letter to elected officials at all levels.

"[Police unions must be part of the solution," he said in a blog post on the issue of racial equality and what was needed to bring that about. "To the extent that collectively bargained practices stand in the way of just treatment for Black Americans, those practices must be on the table. We must commit together to challenge anything which compromises accountability, trust, and confidence in law enforcement," he said. "AT&T has one of America’s largest union-represented workforces, so I appreciate this won’t be easy. But America can no longer overlook the extent to which these policies and practices are contributing to unjust treatment."

He said a hard look must be taken at legal precedents that exempt police officers from civil liability — so-called limited immunity — "even for shocking acts of misconduct and excessive force."

Stephenson said that the "horrific deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and now Rayshard Brooks" demonstrate that the country has failed to establish equal justice for black Americans.

He said the cycle must be broken. "Outrage yields to protest, which leads to promises of reform. But in the end, little changes and the pattern repeats itself," he said, suggesting this was a moment when that could happen.

Stephenson pledged "to represent AT&T and work on equitable justice as part of a new Business Roundtable committee of large company CEOs committed to advance racial equity and justice."

He said the initial focus will be on changes in police practices, but would extend to "health and the disparate impact the pandemic has inflicted on black communities; financial systems; and education and workforce development."

Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts unveiled a plan by the cable giant on Monday to invest $100 million over the next three years to combat racism and advance social justice and equality in addition to the commitments the company has made to thousands of organizations to help underrepresented communities.

Roberts outlined details of the plan in a letter to employees Monday, adding that Comcast EVP and chief diversity officer Craig Robinson will be spearheading the efforts along with the chairman himself on the corporate level and will coordinate with executives across its business units -- including Comcast, NBCUniversal and Sky -- to allocate resources and partner with national and local organizations to drive meaningful change.

“Each of our companies will create sustainable programs within their businesses and will be proactively soliciting ideas from employees so that we can build this effort together,” Roberts said in the letter, adding that more details will be shared in the weeks ahead.

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The initiatives will be focused on several key areas:

Social Justice: Comcast will partner with and provide significant grants to organizations working to eradicate injustice and inequity. Organizations will include but not be limited to: the National Urban League, the Equal Justice Initiative, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the National Action Network and the Community Justice Action Fund.

Employees: Comcast will accelerate its efforts in diversity and inclusion, including advancement, hiring and training, and will educate employees across the company to better understand race-related issues, including Town Halls, speaker series and mandatory anti-racism and anti-bias training. Comcast also pledged to provide financial support to its Employee Resource Groups and invest in its diverse talent, providing them with visibility, opportunity and sponsorship, while continuing to strengthen our diversity recruiting strategy. 

Awareness & Education: Comcast pledged to use its vast media resources behind highlighting Black voices and Black stories and educating its viewers on diverse and inclusive cultures, perspectives and experiences. NBC News will host a series of Town Halls, similar to their Can You Hear Us Now special and pledged the use of its X1, Flex, Peacock and Sky platforms to promote multicultural content.

In addition, Roberts said Comcast will deepen its commitment to narrowing the digital gap in lower-income communities, continuing with its Internet Essentials low-cost broadband service and increasing its commitment to provide digital skills training. Comcast also pledged to provide assistance to minority-owned small businesses that had to close up during the pandemic. For entrepreneurs of color, Comcast said it will create new LIFT Labs programs for Black founders, will invest in minority entrepreneurs via its Comcast Ventures program and will expand Catalyst program, aimed at investing in Black, Latinx and female businesses.

“I want to sincerely thank those of you who have reached out and courageously shared your experiences and fears,” Roberts said in the letter. "We look forward to hearing more of your insightful ideas for our path ahead to a better future. Together we are facing a painful yet powerful moment – one that presents us with a renewed opportunity to do better, and to create substantive and sustainable change."

A new study from Free Press, "Digital Denied," asserts that "communities of color find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide for home-Internet access – both in terms of adoption and deployment – in a manner that income differences alone don’t explain."

For example, among those households with family incomes less than $20,000, 58% of White households have Internet access, while it is only 51% for Hispanics and 50% for Blacks in that same income bracket.

"[E]ven after accounting for such differences in income, age, education and other factors, many racial and ethnic groups continue to lag behind Whites in home-Internet adoption."

The report also asserts that the main culprit in the persistence of a digital divide is wired broadband.

"[T]he relatively higher levels of competition and choice in the mobile market have largely closed such divides in mobile internet and cellphone adoption," the report notes.

By contrast, it says, wired broadband is a duopoly at best.

Saying "public policy intended to address the digital divide has largely failed to close the gap, the report proposed some fixes, including lower prices and "a functioning resale, wholesale market."

The FCC under chairman Tom Wheeler attempted to reregulate prices for business data services, but ran into a new Administration warning them off the proposal before it could be voted.

The report concluded that "contrary to one popular narrative, people of color who do not adopt home internet have a very high demand for it," which means they would "benefit greatly from lower prices and more choices for service."

The report asserts that while "only 18% of non-adopting White households say they would subscribe at a lower price, 33% of non-adopting Hispanic households and 28% of non-adopting Black households say they would."

NCTA: The Internet & Television Association had no comment on the report, but its largest member, Comcast, is adding flexible plans that could help with as-needed access. Last summer, the company announced pay as you go, prepaid TV and Internet plans that have no contract or credit check. It is testing them in Illinois, Michigan, Georgia, Florida and Indiana and plans to offer the option everywhere in its footprint.