Civil-rights groups seeking greater ethnic diversity in the TV industry said last week that the major broadcast networks are making improvements but it's time for greater progress -- and pressure.

	Reed Saxon/Associated Press Alex Nogales of the National Latino Media Council discusses the major television networks' "report card" on diversity in hiring. Click photo for larger image.

"I don't want to wait 10 years until we're close on television to the 15 percent of the population we are in the U.S.," said Alex Nogales, an official with the National Latino Media Council.

The council has been working together with groups including the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition and American Indians in Film & TV since 1999 to increase minority hiring and representation in the broadcast TV industry.

Karen K. Narasaki, chair of the Asian Pacific American coalition, said there has been "marginal progress" as all four networks increased the number of starring roles for Asian-American actors in series. In one case, however, that meant going from one role to two.

"We're still far from where we need to be," she said, with far too many all-white shows or shows that by dint of their setting should have Asian-American characters but don't.

There's been a worrying drop in Asian-American writers and producers, Narasaki, also president of the Asian American Justice Center, said in a phone interview following a news conference.

Increasing their ranks is crucial to creating more minority characters, she said. She noted the cast diversity on ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," created and produced by a black woman, Shonda Rhimes.

Nogales lauded ABC, a network he said "finally got it" and has Hispanic characters in its most popular shows, including "Desperate Housewives" and freshman hit "Ugly Betty." As a result, he said, the network is winning over more Hispanic viewers.

In annual "report cards," ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox are graded in areas including their hiring of minority actors, writers and directors, development of programs with ethnic diversity and overall commitment to diversity issues.

This year, for shows airing from fall 2005 to fall 2006, the National Latino Media Coalition gave ABC the highest overall grade, A-minus, followed by a B-plus for CBS and a B each for NBC and Fox.

The Asian Pacific American Media Coalition gave NBC, ABC and Fox a C-plus each, while CBS earned a C.

In the coalition's first report card, in 2000, the networks received mostly Ds.

There was yet again a sharp slap from American Indians in film & TV: The virtual absence of any American Indians on screen or in the industry earned a flurry of Fs and Ds, with just a handful of higher grades.

In separate statements Thursday, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox reiterated their commitments to diversity and pledged continued efforts.

-- Lynn Elber, Associated Press

Celebs as the law

Erik Estrada and other lesser celebrities have been sworn in as reserve officers of the Muncie, Ind., police department, allowing them to carry badges and guns as part of a reality television series.

About 200 people packed into a Muncie City Hall auditorium for the ceremony last week to swear in the former "CHiPs" star, along with La Toya Jackson, Jack Osbourne, Wee Man and Trish Stratus.

A producer coaxed the crowd into cheering loudly for the camera, and parts of the ceremony had to be repeated several times for the TV cameras.

"Roll call is at 6 o'clock," Muncie Police Chief Joe Winkle told the celebrities. "Do not be late."

Winkle had to say the line three times. The first take was interrupted by audience applause, the second was too quiet.

"Welcome to TV," said Julie Link of Forman Productions. "Sometimes, we have to retake."

The CBS show, "Armed and Famous," being filmed in this east-central Indiana city, population 66,000, follows the celebrities as they enforce the laws alongside city police officers.

Estrada carried a gun but rarely used it to stop bad guys in his 1970s motorcycle-cops drama. He also appeared in VH1's "Surreal Life" in 2004. Osbourne, 21, son of rocker Ozzy Osbourne, was on the MTV's "The Osbournes." Wee Man, 33, a 4-foot-7 skateboarder, gained fame on the MTV show "Jackass."

Jackson, 50, a singer and sister of Michael and Janet Jackson, is a native of Gary, Ind., and Stratus is a former WWE professional wrestler.

-- Associated Press

Rooney e-mail is hoax

Andy Rooney has never been shy about his opinions, but now he's being bedeviled by somebody else's words being circulated under his name.

Rooney said last week that a racist commentary falsely attributed to him is circulating over the Internet and through e-mails. The "60 Minutes" essayist wants anyone who might have seen it to know he had nothing to do with it.

"I suppose it's not important, but I hate the fact that people think I've been writing these things," he said. "That's hurtful to me."

The missive, which Rooney said had been passed along to him via e-mail several times, is a list of several anti-minority statements. One of the printable ones: "I have the right not to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird or tick me off."

Because he's well known and has a clearly identifiable style, Rooney has been the victim of other such hoaxes in the past. Another commentary falsely circulated under his name praises the virtues of women over age 30.

-- David Bauder, Associated Press

'Heroes' actor gets pilot

The fate of the world may now be in Thomas Dekker's hands.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dekker has been cast as humanity's savior John Connor in Fox's "The Sarah Connor Chronicles," a small screen extension of the popular "Terminator" franchise.

"The Sarah Connor Chronicles" takes place in-between the events of "Terminator 2" and "Terminator 3" and follows Sarah and 15-year-old son John Connor as they prepare to save the world or something of that ilk.

Expect the Josh Friedman-scripted pilot to further confuse a timeline that has already set several different dates for Judgment Day (8/29/97 and 7/24/04 in particular) and, if you'll recall, mourned Sarah Connor's passing in 1997.

Warner Bros. TV is producing the pilot, which will be shot early next year with David Nutter ("Roswell," "Smallville") at the helm.

Lena Headey was previously cast as Sarah. The 33-year-old Headey will make for an interesting maternal pairing with Dekker, who turns 19 later this month.

Dekker is probably best known for his recurring turn as Zach, friend and videographer to Hayden Panettiere's death-defying cheerleader on "Heroes."

-- Zap2it.com