Chantilly, VA- Women in Cable & Telecommunications (WICT) today announced the addition of NBC’s Today Show weatherman and host of Food Network’s Roker on the Road, Al Roker, and Supermodel Emme to the roster of speakers at the upcoming WICT Forum, which will be held May 11-13, 2005 as part of Spring Cable Week.  Additionally, WICT has extended the deadline for Forum registrations until Friday, April 29. 

Roker will join Kathleen Finch, SVP of Primetime Programming for the Food Network on the “Collaboration at the Creative Level” panel discussion.  Panelists will discuss the boom in niche programming efforts and the reasons why collaboration is so important at the programming and creative levels. The panel will be held May 11 at 2:00 pm.

Emme, a best-selling author, supermodel and host of Fashion Emergency on E! Entertainment Television, will serve as the keynote speaker during the Pacesetter’s Luncheon.  The Pacesetter’s Luncheon is presented by Rainbow Media Holdings and will be held from Noon until 1:30 pm on Wednesday, May 11.

The WICT Forum is the industry’s premier leadership experience. It offers an unparalleled advantage to access leadership strategies and tips from the industry’s top thought leaders and to partner with peers in an intimate learning environment, through intensive case study work.

The WICT Forum Case Study is a real-life representation of the choices and challenges today’s cable professionals face daily. Developed by the Daniels School of Business at the University of Denver, the WICT Forum Case Study tackles the fundamental changes that will occur in the industry within the next few years, for both operators and programmers. Participants will thoroughly explore such issues as negotiation, partnering, strategy formulation, hiring and retention, labor unions and rewards. During this exercise, you’ll act as the top-level decision makers and solve the problems that you read about in the trades every week, every day. The WICT Forum offers you an environment to strategize about future business, take risks and generate tough decision-making solutions.

2005 WICT FORUM
The 2005 WICT Forum will be held May 11-13, 2005 as part of the Spring Cable Week created by WICT’s partnership with Cable Positive, the cable and telecommunications industry’s AIDS action organization.  The week will kick off on Monday with NAMIC’s East Coast Creative Summit.  Tuesday will feature a breakfast seminar hosted by Horowitz Associates and will be followed by the annual WICT New York Chapter’s Wonder Women luncheon sponsored by Multichannel News.  That evening Cable Positive will present the organization’s highest honor, the Joel A. Berger Memorial Award for outstanding contribution in the fight against AIDS, to Carole Black at the annual benefit dinner.   

The 2005 WICT Forum is presented by Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., MTV Networks, Showtime Networks, Inc., Scripps Networks, Advance/Newhouse Communications, Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, Lifetime, Discovery Communications, NBC Universal Cable, Multichannel News and Broadcasting & Cable.

About WICT
For over twenty-five years, WICT has partnered with cable and telecommunications leaders to provide leadership programs and services, and create professional advancement opportunities for women. With over 4,000 members, Women in Cable & Telecommunications is the oldest and largest professional association serving women in the cable and telecommunications industry. WICT develops women leaders who transform our industry through highly regarded professional events, educational programming and networking opportunities. WICT has 21 local chapters and satellites across the country. For more information, visit www.wict.org.