On the heels of issuing a critical report about Hollywood's minority hiring, the president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People threatened the entertainment industry Thursday with unspecified political actions if it did not increase diversity.

"At a time when the country is excited about the election of the first African-American president in U.S. history," said Benjamin Todd Jealous, who was appointed in May to head the civil rights organization, "it is unthinkable that minorities would be so grossly under-represented on broadcast television."

The statement came shortly after the organization's Hollywood bureau released a 40-page report called "Out of Focus, Out of Sync -- Take 4" that found blacks and other minorities continue to be under-represented in "nearly every aspect of television and film businesses." Though he declined to be specific, Jealous said the organization "could bring the hammer down," including "shaming the industry," if it does not improve diversity.

The report marks some of the most pointed criticism of the industry by the civil rights organization and signals a return to the issue for the group, which has been inconsistent in recent years in keeping tabs on networks' efforts to embrace multiculturalism.

Today, only three network series -- CBS's "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and "The Unit" and ABC's "Ugly Betty" -- have minorities in leading roles. (Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times)

Chuck Todd, who was considered a contender to succeed Tim Russert as moderator of NBC's "Meet the Press," has been given another plum assignment: chief White House correspondent.

Todd, who will continue serving as political director, will be the network's lead correspondent covering the Obama administration, the network announced Thursday. He will be joined on the beat by Savannah Guthrie.

Todd replaces David Gregory, who was named earlier this month as the moderator of "Meet the Press." (Los Angeles Times)

Michael Chiklis didn't lose any money in the escalating Bernard Madoff scandal. But he did fall victim to another Ponzi scheme early this year. And now, sadder but wiser, he's developing a TV series fueled by his experience.

Chiklis has been gathering material from others also hurt by investor scams, "and if I had hair, it'd curl," says the actor, who starred in the recently concluded FX cop drama "The Shield."

Soon he hopes to have a pilot script for "House of Cards." (Frazier Moore, Associated Press)

Former WPXI weekend anchor Stacia Erdos was not selected by the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus to replace John Boccieri in the Ohio state Senate. ... More than 20 members of the U.S. military from Allegheny County are featured on Comcast on Demand offering holiday greetings. ... WPXI's digital subchannel, RTN, will air a burning Yule log from 7 p.m. Christmas Eve until 7 p.m. Christmas Day. (Rob Owen, Post-Gazette TV editor)