WICT FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES
BEST COMPANIES FOR WOMEN IN CABLE
2006 PAR INITIATIVE SURVEY RESULTS RELEASED
Cox Communications, Discovery Communications, Inc.
Receive Top Honors
Chantilly, VA - The Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) Foundation, in collaboration with Working Mother Media, announced today the results of the 2006 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. Forty leading cable and telecommunications companies participated in the WICT 2006 PAR Initiative, with top honors going to Cox Communications, Inc. and Discovery Communications, Inc.
Cox Communications, Inc. is the 2006 recipient of the Forerunner Accolade for the Best Operator for Women in Cable. Discovery Communications, Inc. is the 2006 recipient of the Forerunner Accolade for the Best Programmer for Women in Cable. The 2006 Accolade Awards will be presented at the 22nd Annual WICT Foundation Benefit Gala on Wednesday, November 15, 2006 in Washington, D.C.
“PAR cites those best practices which reveal how company policies and procedures are really making a difference for the industry as a whole,” said Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, WICT President and CEO. “While every corporate culture is different, PAR helps companies recognize and adopt effective initiatives, policies and programs culled from these best practices, to help improve their own internal efforts. By tracking PAR annually, we are able to see how cable companies anticipate emerging business needs and align the workforce with long term business goals.”
"It is an honor for Discovery Communications to be named once again by WICT as the Best Programmer for Women. We are committed to building a healthy, balanced workplace that recognizes the various needs and interests of our diverse population. By offering our employees the resources and support they need, we are building a more innovative, dynamic and creative workforce where women are encouraged to seek advancement in their careers at Discovery and beyond," said Judith A. McHale, President and CEO, Discovery Communications, Inc.
"This honor recognizes our companywide commitment to diversity in all aspects of our business," said Pat Esser, President of Cox Communications. "While it's widely recognized that diversity is good
business, true diversity is difficult to achieve without solid goals, clearly defined initiatives and dedicated resources. That's why Cox continues to build and enhance programs ensuring that all of our
business functions - whether they impact employees, the community, customers or suppliers - are inclusive and reflect the diversity of the communities we call home."
Three of the most significant trends in 2006 PAR Initiative Report relate to the adoption of pay equity policies, the need for more women in technology positions, and the proliferation of elder care referral as a resource for work life support. For example:
- The number of companies which conduct basic internal pay equity surveys jumped in the past year -- from 31.25% in 2005 to 41.03% in 2006.
- The cable industry does not have enough women in technology, especially to lead new product development teams and to market to women. Only 27.16% of all corporate/headquarters technology employees in the cable industry are women (up from 26.5% in 2005). Yet only 15.57% of Technology Project Managers are women (down from 19.9% in 2005).
- Elder care referral - now offered by 65% of cable companies - is the most offered resource for work/life support, surpassing a long list of other work/life programs including back-up child care, on-site child care, and after-school/vacation care.
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 2006 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. Discovery Communications, Inc.
2. Oxygen Media
3. The Weather Channel
4. Turner Broadcasting System
5. Scripps Networks
Best Companies for Women in Cable – Pay Equity
1. Scripps Networks
2. The Weather Channel
3. Cox Communications, Inc.
4. Turner Broadcasting System
5. NBC Universal
Best Companies for Women in Cable – Advancement Opportunities
1. Oxygen Media
2. Cox Communications, Inc
3. Discovery Communications, Inc.
4. The Weather Channel
5. Scripps Networks
Best Companies for Women in Cable– Resources for Work/Life Support
1. NBC Universal
2. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
3. Cox Communications, Inc
4. Home Box Office
5. Discovery Communications, Inc.
Editors Note: Key Findings and Industry Trends from the 2006 PAR Initiative are attached. The full PAR Executive Report can be found at www.wict.org/WICT/Foundation/PAR/2006.
About PAR
The PAR Initiative, introduced by the Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) Foundation in 2002, is dedicated to measuring the role of women employed in the cable industry in three key areas: Pay Equity, Advancement Opportunities and Resources for Work/Life Support. The WICT Foundation works with its independent research consultant, Working Mother Media, to conduct the PAR Initiative survey. The survey is conducted annually with human resource executives at cable operators, programmers and vendors. The survey is the main method of data collection used to report the results in the following PAR components: Executive Report, Industry Scorecard and Best Companies for Women in Cable lists.
The PAR Initiative Prescriptive provides information and resources for companies, categorized by the areas of Pay Equity, Advancement Opportunities and Resources for Work/Life Support which assists with their efforts to grow and improve in these areas. These can be found at http://www.wict.org/WICT/Foundation/PAR/prescriptive.htm. Additionally, each participating company received a confidential scorecard that allows them to compare their own results to the industry averages.
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 Gala
The presentation of the WICT 2006 Accolade Awards will take place at the 22nd Annual WICT Foundation Benefit Gala to be held Wednesday, November 15, 2006 at the Grant Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C. The 2006 WICT Foundation Benefit Gala is presented by the WICT Leadership Circle: Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., MTV Networks and BET Networks, Comcast, Cox Communications, Time Warner Cable & Charter Communications. For more information or to purchase a table, please visit www.wict.org.
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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