Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT), in collaboration with Working Mother Media, announced today the results of the 2008 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 telecommunications companies participated in the WICT 2008 PAR Initiative, with top honors going to Cox Communications, Inc. and Discovery Communications.  2008 marks the sixth year of the PAR Initiative.

For the sixth straight year, Cox Communications, Inc. is the recipient of the Forerunner Accolade for the Best Operator for Women in Cable. Discovery Communications is the recipient of the 2008 Forerunner Accolade for the Best Programmer for Women in Cable.  The 2008 Accolades will be presented at the 24th Annual WICT Benefit Gala held on Thursday, November 20, 2008 at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C.

Key findings from the 2008 PAR Initiative and six year trends are attached.  A copy of the 2008 PAR Initiative Executive Report can be found at www.wict.org.

“We thank the forty companies that participated in WICT’s 2008 PAR initiative. PAR has documented impressive policy advancements since launching in 2003,” said Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, WICT President and CEO. “Unfortunately, we have also seen a drop in the number of women that make up the cable workforce and in senior executive positions. As a result, WICT is issuing a call to action for the industry to return to at least the representation women had in 2003.” WICT’s Call to action includes three primary elements:

• Participate in PAR: Conduct a thorough review of the company’s confidential scorecard from Working Mother Media and implement proven strategies and policies recommended in the PAR Report.
  
• Hire and advance more women to drive the anticipated growth from consolidated, acquired, and emerging lines of business.
  
• Corporate Oversight: Require senior human resources executives to review all personnel decisions above a certain level and develop a holistic approach to recruit and retain diverse talent.

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 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. The 2008 Best Companies for Women in Cable are:

Best Operators for Women in Cable

• Cox Communications, Inc.
• Time Warner Cable
• Comcast Cable
• WOW! Internet, Cable & Phone
• Suddenlink Communications

Best Programmers for Women in Cable

• Discovery Communications
• The Weather Channel Companies
• MTV Networks
• Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
• Scripps Networks

Best Companies for Women in Cable – Pay Equity

• The Weather Channel Companies
• Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
• Scripps Networks
• Cox Communications, Inc.
• Discovery Communications

Best Companies for Women in Cable – Advancement Opportunities

• Cox Communications, Inc.
• Time Warner Cable
• Comcast Cable
• The Weather Channel Companies
• Scripps Networks

Best Companies for Women in Cable– Resources for Work/Life Support

• Cox Communications, Inc.
• NBC Universal
• Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
• Discovery Communications
• Scripps Networks

About PAR
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.

About WICT
For twenty-nine years, Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) has partnered with cable and telecommunications leaders to provide leadership programs and services, and create professional advancement opportunities for women. With over 7,800 members, WICT is the oldest and largest professional association serving women in the cable telecommunications industry.

WICT develops women leaders who transform our industry through highly regarded professional events, educational programming and networking opportunities. Comcast, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., Time Warner Cable, MTV Networks/BET Networks, Charter Communications and Rainbow are members of the 2008 WICT Leadership Circle and provide the highest level of financial support for WICT programs, services and advocacy.

About Working Mother Media
Working Mother Media, a division of Bonnier Corporation, is a multimedia 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 online 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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