The Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) Foundation, in collaboration with Working Mother Media, announced today the results of the 2007 PAR Initiative, which examines and ranks companies in the cable telecommunications industry according to three criteria: Pay Equity, Advancement Opportunities and Resources for Work/Life Support. Thirty-eight leading cable telecommunications companies participated in the WICT 2007 PAR Initiative, with top honors going to Cox Communications, Inc. and Oxygen Media. 2007 marks the fifth year of the PAR Initiative.
For the fifth straight year, Cox Communications, Inc. is the 2007 recipient of the Forerunner Accolade for the Best Operator for Women in Cable. Oxygen Media is the 2007 recipient of the Forerunner Accolade for the Best Programmer for Women in Cable. The 2007 Accolades will be presented at the 23rd Annual WICT Foundation Benefit Gala on Thursday, November 15, 2007 in Washington, D.C.
A copy of the 2007 PAR Initiative Executive Report can be found at www.wict.org.
“As we mark the fifth anniversary of the WICT Foundation’s PAR Initiative, we see that the cable industry has shown tremendous progress implementing pay equity programs and leadership programs for women at all levels. Without the resources provided by the PAR Initiative, we would not have seen these changes,” said Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, WICT President and CEO. “However, we still face challenges recruiting and retaining women. In 2003 when WICT launched the PAR Initiative, women accounted for 38.7 percent of all cable employees; in 2007 that number has dropped to 35.8 percent. By recognizing that advancing women drives bottom-line growth, we will achieve new levels of success as an industry.”
“It is truly an honor to be recognized by WICT as the Best Programmer for Women,” said Geraldine Laybourne, Chairman and CEO of Oxygen. “Congratulations to WICT for bringing attention to best practices, and the important issues that affect women in the cable industry.”
"We are humbled to once again receive this prestigious recognition," said Pat Esser, President of Cox Communications, Inc. "Pay equity, advancement opportunities and work/life balance are important to today's workforce. By focusing on these important standards for all of our employees, Cox is able to attract and retain better talent; grow faster; and compete more effectively."
The PAR Initiative ranks companies with regard to advancing the role of women in the workplace according to Pay Equity, Advance Opportunities and Resources for Work Life Support. The 2007 Best Companies for Women in Cable are:
Best Operators for Women in Cable
1. Cox Communications, Inc.
2. Comcast Cable
3. Time Warner Cable
4. Advance/Newhouse Communications
5. Charter Communications
Best Programmers for Women in Cable
1. Oxygen Media
2. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
3. Discovery Communications, Inc.
4. The Weather Channel Companies
5. Lifetime Networks
Best Companies for Women in Cable – Pay Equity
1. The Weather Channel Companies
2. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
3. Scripps Networks
4. Oxygen Media
5. ESPN
Best Companies for Women in Cable – Advancement Opportunities
1. Oxygen Media
2. Cox Communications, Inc.
3. Time Warner Cable
4. Comcast Cable
5. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
Best Companies for Women in Cable– Resources for Work/Life Support
1. Cox Communications, Inc.
2. Oxygen Media
3. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
4. Time Warner Cable
5. NBC Universal
About PAR
Since 2003, the PAR Initiative measures the status of women employees in the cable industry based on three criteria: Pay Equity, Advancement Opportunities and Resources for Work/Life Support.
The initiative collects data on an annual basis through an official survey of detailed questions. After this rigorous process, all participating companies receive their results, a confidential scorecard that measures the current state against past performance and the industry overall, and a private assessment and consultation with WICT research partner Working Mother Media.
The PAR Initiative assigns rankings based on practices and programs that create a more equitable, resourceful and thriving work environment in the annual lists of the Best Companies for Women in Cable.
The PAR survey offers a roadmap for identifying and tracking inequality and pinpointing where there is room for improvement. Companies then can apply this information to such areas as employee retention and recruiting, and to such crucial practices as establishing a pay equity policy. WICT’s PAR Initiative affects the entire cable industry by creating benchmarks for a more diverse and fair work environment.
The Initiative’s confidentiality parameters dictate that only those companies ranked “Best” Companies for Women in Cable are publicly disclosed and cited in case studies and profiles.
About the WICT Foundation
The WICT Foundation is responsible for the advocacy initiatives of Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT), the oldest and largest professional association serving women in the cable telecommunications industry. The WICT Foundation serves as a catalyst for industry change through research, development, advocacy and education. Its current effort, the PAR Initiative, measures and supports the advancement of industry women against the following standards: Pay Equity, Advancement Opportunities and Resources for Work/Life Support. Groundbreaking programs such as the PAR Initiative, and other WICT Foundation research on issues such as work/life balance and the business case for gender diversity, have inspired industry-wide advancements for women.
About Working Mother Media
Working Mother Media is a multi-media marketing company that provides strategies and solutions for millions of consumers, specifically working mothers and female business owners, as well as a corporate audience of CEOs, top executive decision-makers and human resources professionals. Working Mother Media offers a full complement of marketing partnership programs including print, custom publishing, broadcast, and on-line media; national, regional and customized conferences and events; a research division; and a membership association for women in business for our corporate partners to forward their messages to their specific target audiences.
Working Mother Media includes Working Mother and NAFE magazines, the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE) and a Conferences and Events Division that produces the Working Mother 100 Best Companies WorkLife Congress, the Working Mother Best Companies for Women of Color Conference, and Town Hall meetings around the country.
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