WEATHER ALERT
Comcast, Byron Allen end racial discrimination dispute
Read full article: Comcast, Byron Allen end racial discrimination disputeComcast settled a long-running a long-running racial discrimination dispute with black media mogul Byron Allen, agreeing to add three of Allen's channels to its cable packages. Allen sued Comcast for $20 billion in 2015 for refusing to carry seven of his networks, saying it was because of his race. The case made it to the Supreme Court, which in Marc h reversed a lower court ruling in favor of Allen. The Supreme Court said Allen had to show race was the decisive factor in Comcast's decision not to offer him a contract, not one of several factors. Comcast said it would put the full weight of our companys media resources behind highlighting Black voices and Black stories.
Supreme Court hears Byron Allen's discrimination suit against Comcast
Read full article: Supreme Court hears Byron Allen's discrimination suit against ComcastAllen's allies, including US Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, and the NAACP, say the case could set civil rights plaintiffs back decades if he loses. According to court documents, Allen's team argues that Comcast carries "lesser-known, white owned" networks, like FitTV and the Outdoor Channel, but refused to carry Allen's channels even after his company took steps recommended by Comcast to secure a deal. Comcast claims its decision not to carry Allen's channels was based on business factors alone, including viewership, and had nothing to do with Allen's race, pointing out that it carries black-owned stations like Sean "Diddy" Combs' RevoltTV. Comcast appealed the Ninth Circuit's ruling to the Supreme Court, which held oral arguments Wednesday morning. Comcast issued a statement saying it was "optimistic" the court would eventually rule in its favor and refuted Allen's claims that the company is racist.