Lawsuit accuses Comcast, Al Sharpton of discriminating against black-owned media

A lawsuit against Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Rev. Al Sharpton and the NAACP alleges that the media companies discriminated against black-owned businesses and paid activists like Sharpton to “whitewash” its practices. The complaint alleges that Comcast gave large donations to Sharpton, the NAACP and other civil rights groups to make it appear that the cable company was promoting diversity, even while it was failing to follow through on a promise to do so.

The lawsuit, seeking $20 billion, was filed in Los Angeles federal court by Entertainment Studios, a television company founded by black producer and comedian Byron Allen and the National Association of African-American Owned Media (NAAAOM). The complaint, which comes as regulators mull a $45-billion merger between Comcast and TWC, alleges that Comcast has refused to do business with Allen and other black media executives. “Comcast has engaged in, and is engaging in, pernicious, intentional racial discrimination in contracting,” it reads. Whether or not it gets anywhere is another question. Both Sharpton and Comcast dismissed the allegations. Sharpton called the lawsuit a “bogus statement from a person who has no credibility” and said that he will be bringing counterclaims for defamation.