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The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Brett Abrams, brett@unbendablemedia.com

As NBC Rejects Calls for Independent, Outside Investigation, Women's Group Urges DNC to Cancel Upcoming Presidential Primary Debate on MSNBC

UltraViolet Calls on the DNC to Support Survivors, Pull Debate from MSNBC Unless NBC News Takes Action to Address Culture of Sexual Abuse at the Network

WASHINGTON

Yesterday, a representative for NBCUniversal told The Hollywood Reporter that the network would not conduct a new, outside investigation into Matt Lauer's conduct and the response by the network's executives.

The announcement comes days after a number of individuals and organizations, including UltraViolet Action called on Comcast/NBC to conduct a new, outside, investigation into the networks response to claims that executives silenced survivors' abuse claims, and failed to hold abusers accountable. UltraViolet Action also called on the Democratic National Committee to cancel the upcoming Democratic presidential primary debate on MSNBC in November until NBC took clear steps to address its culture of abuse.
In reaction to the announcement, Shaunna Thomas, co-founder and executive director of UltraViolet Action, a leading national women's group, issued the following statement.

"Comcast/NBC's previous investigation into its culture was little more than a sham to provide cover for its executives. That's why NBC's refusal to conduct a new, outside investigation into the toxic culture that exists across their networks, especially as it relates to silencing survivors, is unacceptable and proof that the network is not interested in holding abusers and their enablers accountable.

"In light of these developments, the DNC needs to make it clear that they support survivors of sexual abuse and cancel the upcoming 2020 Democratic presidential primary debate on MSNBC until Comcast and NBC News take clear steps to clean up the toxic culture that exists across their networks.
"As NBC dithers, the DNC must stand with survivors and pull the upcoming democratic presidential primary debate from MSNBC until clear steps are taken to clean house at NBC News."

UltraViolet is a powerful and rapidly growing community of people mobilized to fight sexism and create a more inclusive world that accurately represents all women, from politics and government to media and pop culture.