The level of diversity at the major television networks is improving, according to report cards issued by The National Latino Media Council, a coalition of 16 of the country's largest Latino advocacy organizations.    

The NLMC report found that all four networks have made incremental progress on increasing Latino hiring, with ABC and FOX leading the way, followed by CBS and NBC.   

NLMC's 9th annual release of network television report cards summarizes the progress and shortfalls of the networks' efforts to diversify their workforces and increase Hispanic vendor contracts.   

The grades are made based on three criteria: institutional programs and measures taken to bring Latinos into the employment ranks both in front and back of camera; actual hiring that is concrete and measurable; and of clear, statistical data utilized to grade diversity performance.    

The reports focus on the primetime scripted programs from fall of 2008 to summer of 2009, as well as reality programs on the air during the same period. Grades received are proportional to the number of hours of prime-time programming each network had on the air during the '08-'09 period.  

The ABC and FOX networks each received B+ marks.  Both networks feature Hispanics prominently in primetime shows such as América Ferrera and Eva Longoria starring respectively in ABC's "Ugly Betty" and "Desperate Housewives," as well as Carlos Bernard's role on FOX's "24."  

ABC was singled out for its efforts in hiring Latino writers for their programs and in awarding contracts to Latino venders.   

FOX was lauded for its inclusion of Latinos in its executive creative team and the network's establishment of a pro-active outreach initiative to recruit Hispanics throughout its workforce.    

Areas for improvement include increased hiring of Hispanic executives at ABC and additional Latino venders at FOX.   

The next highest grade, a B, was awarded to CBS, which has featured Latino actors in prominent regular roles such as Michael Irby in "The Unit," Eva La Rue and Adam Rodríguez in "CSI: Miami," and Enrique Murciano and Roselyn Sánchez in "Without a Trace.”    

CBS has continued to have the most visible and highest-ranking Latino executive in their creative team, with Nina Tassler at the helm.

This is of particular importance to NLMC as the executive team can make the biggest impact with regard to diversity on television.   

However, NLMC found that CBS continues to struggle in the representation of Latinos in its reality programs. This year the network had the lowest number of Latino contestants on popular reality shows over the past three years.   

Coming in last was NBC with a grade of C+, primarily for failing to hire a single Latino executive for its creative team. NBC was the only one of the four networks to fail to do so. On the positive side, NBC won praise for its creative hiring of Latinos for supporting roles, its proactive efforts to hire Hispanic writers and producers, and high level of spending with Latino venders.    

Overall, NLMC found that the number of Latinos both in front of and behind the camera is increasing at the four major networks, even if the levels are not yet in line with the 15 percent of the U.S. population that Hispanics represent.   

The coalition stated casting teams should be targeted for increased diversity in order to continue building on the progress represented in the report, adding the group intends to work closely with the networks to improve in this area.    

To read the full report cards, visit http://www.nhmc.org/spotlight/?id=80.  

(Erick Galindo is editor of the national newsweekly,Hispanic Link Weekly Report.) ©2009