(CNN) – NBCUniversal, succumbing to pressure from an array of Hispanic groups, is severing its business ties to presidential candidate Donald Trump.
The Miss USA pageant, scheduled for July 12, will no longer air on NBC.
Miss USA and Miss Universe were, until now, jointly owned by NBC and Trump.
“At NBC, respect and dignity for all people are cornerstones of our values,” the company said in a statement. “Due to the recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants, NBCUniversal is ending its business relationship with Mr. Trump.”
Trump had no immediate comment.
Monday’s announcement follows a similar move by Univision, the Spanish-language broadcaster, last week. Univision decided it would not air Miss USA in the wake of his racially-tinged comments about Mexican immigrants.
Over the weekend a large number of Hispanic advocacy organizations urged NBC to do the same thing.
And on Monday the National Association of Hispanic Journalists added its name to the list. Notably, the association is led by Mekahlo Medina, a reporter for NBC’s local station in southern California.
Medina wrote, “[we] encourage NBC to acquire 100% ownership of the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants and air those events without the shadow of such mistrust and fear Mr. Trump has created.”
Additionally, more than 215,000 people have signed a Change.org petition calling for a break-up.
The petition, created by Guillermo Castañeda Jr., called on the Peacock network to end the pageant airings.
The controversy stemmed from comments Trump made during his presidential campaign announcement two weeks ago.
“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best… They’re sending people who have lots of problems,” Trump said in the speech. “They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists, and some, I assume, are good people.”
These comments caused a firestorm and widespread condemnations, leading Univision to end a five-year contract to air Miss USA and Miss Universe after only five months.
NBC initially responded with a statement saying that Trump’s opinions “do not represent those of NBC, and we do not agree with his positions on a number of issues, including his recent comments on immigration.”
But that attempt to distance the network from Trump did not satisfy some Hispanic leaders. Felix Sanchez, the chairman of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, said in an interview on Sunday that NBC’s silence on the matter was getting deafening.
NBC attorneys, however, needed time to renew the company’s contracts with Trump before pulling the plug on Monday.
Trump is also the face of NBC’s “The Apprentice.” Following his presidential announcement, NBC said it would ”re-evaluate” Trump’s role on the reality show.
On Monday, the network indicated that it wants to keep “Celebrity Apprentice” going, but without Trump as the host.
Production on the next season of the reality show is slated to begin in the fall. NBC’s statement said “‘Celebrity Apprentice’ is licensed from Mark Burnett’s United Artists Media Group and that relationship will continue.”
http://money.cnn.com/2015/06/29/media/donald-trump-nbc-ends-relationship/index.html
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