In 2005, 33 companies have participated in the PAR Initiative, including 20 returning companies. Now, the PAR Initiative program not only measures the current landscape of women in the industry, but it provides an important statistical look at growth and/or decline in the three key areas. The WICT Foundation's collaboration with Working Mother Media ensures that the PAR Initiative survey findings will be valid, objective and confidential.
Cox Communications, Inc. has been named the 2005 Best Operator for Women in Cable. Discovery Communications, Inc. has been named the 2005 Best Programmer for Women in Cable.
Download complete copies of the 2005 PAR Initiative materials.
Some of the key findings of the 2005 PAR Initiative:
- The cable industry hovers around 38% when it comes to both women employees and managers as a proportion of all employees and managers. This is considerably below the national norm: 49% of all U.S. employees are women, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And when it comes to senior executives, cable companies sink even lower: only 27.2% of senior executives in the cable industry are women.
- The most pronounced trend in the year-to-year industry snapshot is that the presence of women of color is steadily growing. In the first year, women of color represented 13.2% of all employees; now they represent 14.8%. They were 8.7% of all managers in 2003, and now they are 9.7% of all managers.
- Overall, women have lost a little ground; women are now 37.3% of all employees, compared to 38.7% when the PAR Initiative launched. Meanwhile, a big jump occurred in the percentage of women in mid-management, even from last year, when women were 34.1% of mid-managers; they are now 38%.
In 2005, the proportion of women managers at programmers was 44.8%, significantly more than the 34.5% at operators. Programmers also seem to be filling their pipelines more quickly, with 51% of first line women managers, compared to 35.6% at operators, and 41.6%of women mid-managers, compared to 35.6% at operators, and 29.6% of women senior executives, compared to 18.3% at operators.
- In 2005, 28% of the cable industry companies surveyed have no formal pay equity policy. This is almost a perfect reverse from 2003, when 71% of the companies did not have a pay equity policy.
- In 2005, leadership training for entry level women is offered at 68.8% of the participating companies, double the rate in the 2003 industry snapshot. Leadership training for mid-level women now stands at 84.4%, compared to 64% in 2003. Leadership training for senior level women has always been high, and currently is offered by 81.3% of all cable companies.
- Currently, 81% of companies offer flex time; 53% offer full time telecommuting, and 53% offer back-up childcare. There has been a shift towards reserving spots for employees’ children at local childcare centers, a benefit now offered by 25% of cable companies; last year 15% of companies offered this. Only 16% of cable companies offer on-site childcare, and this percentage did not change from 2004 to 2005.
Best Companies for Women in Cable Lists
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Best Operators for Women in Cable |
Best Programmers for Women in Cable |
|
1. Cox Communications, Inc. |
1. Discovery Communications, Inc. |
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2. Comcast Cable |
2. Oxygen Media |
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3. Time Warner Cable |
3. The Weather Channel |
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4. Advance/Newhouse Communications |
4. Lifetime Television |
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5. Charter Communications |
5. Home Box Office |
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Best in Pay Equity |
Best in Advancement Opportunities |
Best in Resources for Work/Life Support |
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1. The Weather Channel |
1. Oxygen Media |
1. Cox Communications, Inc. |
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2. Discovery Communications, Inc.
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2. Cox Communications, Inc |
2. Discovery Communications, Inc.
|
|
3. Scripps Networks |
3. Scripps Networks |
3. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. |
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4. ESPN |
4. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. |
4. Oxygen Media |
|
5. Oxygen Media |
5. Comcast Cable |
5. Home Box Office |
For the first time since the launch of the PAR Initiative in 2003, the lists are ranked, rather than being presented in alphabetical order.
Please contact Parthavi Das at 703.234.9803 or pdas@wict.org with questions.
Download the entire 2005 PAR Initiative Survey