/ Technology
Comcast Loses Univision as Partner for Donald Trump's Miss Universe
An agreement between the companies was called off by Univision following 'insulting' comments by Donald Trump
Seth Archer
Updated Jun 25, 2015 11:51 AM EDT
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Comcast (CMCSA - Get Report) has a Trump problem.
Miss USA, the beauty pageant owned in part by Donald J. Trump, will not be broadcast on Univision, the privately-held Spanish-language network, the company said Thursday in a statement.
The pageant was scheduled to air on July 12 on NBC, a unit of Comcast, the country's largest cable-TV operator, and simulcast on Univision for the first time. Trump is a part owner of the Miss Universe Organization, which owns the pageant.
Univision said it was exiting the partnership following Trump's "insulting remarks about Mexican immigrants" made when the real estate developer announced his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination on June 16. The company said it will no longer work on any project with the Trump Organization.
"At Univision, we see first-hand the work ethic, love for family, strong religious values and the important role Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans have had and will continue to have in building the future of our country," Univision said in its statement.
Trump said he stood by his earlier comments.
Mexican gov doesn't want me talking about terrible border situation & horrible trade deals. Forcing Univision to get me to stop- no way!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 25, 2015
As for Trump's presidential ambitions, Univision said it will continue to cover Trump's campaign, as the company wants to ensure its audience "continues to have access to all points of view."
NBC has had other Trump related problems since his announcement. After declaring his candidacy, NBC put his reality show, Celebrity Apprentice, on hiatus.
"We will re-evaluate Trump's role as host of 'Celebrity Apprentice' should it become necessary, as we are committed to this franchise," NBC said in a release.
Now that Trump is running for the presidency, the broadcast network has to be aware of how much time it devotes to airing Trump. The Fairness Doctrine, a policy of the FCC, states that all candidates must be given equal time on the broadcast networks.
Aside from the inflammatory nature of Trump's announcement, allowing Trump to utter his favorite "you're fired" line too often might lead to problems for the network and its parent company.
TechnologyOpinion
More from Technology
Microsoft Gains on Solid Results and Guidance: 10 Key Takeaways
The software giant beat estimates with the help of strong corporate demand for a number of different products and services. And it struck an upbeat tone about the upcoming fiscal year.
Jul 18, 2019 10:13 PM EDT
Jim Cramer: Looking for Netflix Action? Don't Be a Hero
Stranger things have happened, but with NFLX's subscriber miss, the stock just became hard money, joining the likes of Johnson & Johnson and CSX Corp.
Combative Hearings for Facebook's Libra Suggest Project Could Face Long Delays
After the contentious series of hearings, Rep. Maxine Waters and others said that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg should be called to testify on plans for the cryptocurrency.
Annie Gaus
Apple Gains as Raymond James Is Bullish on 5G iPhone Cycle
Raymond James upgraded the tech giant to outperform as it concluded that Apple intends to bring 5G to a wider array of iPhone models than previously expected.
Tony Owusu
Chewy Reports In-Line Results in First Earnings Release Since IPO
This is the first earnings release for Chewy since its IPO in June.