USA Networks Inc. and the Walter Kaitz Foundation are giving $6 million to create two minority employment programs focused on increasing diversity in the broadcast television and new media industries. The money will fund The Broadcast Television Diversity Program and the New Media Fellowship Program over a three-year period.

The Broadcast Television Diversity Program will recruit and train women and minorities for all levels of positions, and the New Media Fellowship Program will train women and minorities for Internet and multimedia entry-level and management jobs.

The Broadcast Television Diversity Program -- which will award $5,000 scholarships to 100 women and minorities -- will form affiliations with colleges and organizations to promote career opportunities within broadcast television for minority students. Affiliations with broadcast television companies will also be formed.

A five-month training course will be included with the New Media Program. That will be made up of one full month dedicated to classroom instruction and four months of onsite apprenticeship with participating companies.

USA and Kaitz drew on their experiences to establish the programs, which will be administered by the Kaitz Foundation with USA acting in a supervisory role.

The Walter Kaitz Foundation is a national organization whose mission is to diversify the workforce of the cable/broadband industry. It has more than 500 alumni, half of whom are still in the industry.

USA Networks Inc. is a media and electronic commerce company whose assets include USA Network, Sci Fi Channel, Studios USA, USA Films, USA Broadcasting, Home Shopping Network and Ticketmaster, among others.

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