NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL’S LISA LING TO HOST 21ST ANNUAL WICT FOUNDATION BENEFIT GALA
-Laureen Ong, Marlene Dooner, Ellen East, A&E to receive Accolades-

Chantilly, VA- Women in Cable & Telecommunications (WICT) today announced that Lisa Ling, host of Explorer on the National Geographic Channel, will be the emcee for the 21st Annual WICT Foundation Benefit Gala.  The Gala will be held Wednesday, November 16th, 2005 at the Washington Hilton. 

The highlight of the Gala will be the presentation of the 2005 Accolades, WICT’s most prestigious awards.  Honorees include:

Woman of the Year: Laureen Ong, President
National Geographic Channel

Women to Watch:   Marlene Dooner, Vice President, Investor Relations
Comcast Corporation

Ellen East, Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs
 Cox Communications, Inc.

Tribute Accolade: “The Brooke Ellison Story”
A&E Network

Tribute Accolade: “Bearing Witness”
A&E Network

In addition, the results of the WICT Foundation’s PAR Initiative, an examination of Pay Equity, Advancement Opportunities, and Resources for Work/Life Support will be announced.  WICT will honor the Best Operator for Women in Cable and the Best Programmer for Women in Cable with this year’s Forerunner Accolades. 

“We are delighted to have Lisa Ling serve as our emcee for the 21st Annual WICT Foundation Benefit Gala,” said Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, WICT President & CEO.  “I have enjoyed her work and know she will bring a new “view” to the evening.  We are indebted to Woman of the Year, Laureen Ong, for her assistance in bringing Lisa to this event.”

Lisa Ling
Lisa Ling is the host of the award-winning documentary series Explorer, which airs on the National Geographic Channel Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.  

Since joining Explorer as host in December 2002, Ling has covered the looting of antiquities in war-torn Iraq, investigated the increasingly deadly drug war in Colombia, examined the complex issues surrounding China’s one-child policy and journeyed more than 1,600 feet to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean in a high-tech submersible in search of gold treasure and is currently exploring the frightening world inside the MS-13 gang.  

As the first woman host since the series premiered two decades ago, Ling immerses herself in the stories she investigates, sometimes going undercover and into danger zones.

Ling also serves as a special contributor to The Oprah Winfrey Show, which builds on her sense of adventure, taking her from India to the Congo.

Prior to traveling the globe for Explorer, Ling was known for revealing her “view” of the world to millions of Americans as co-host of Barbara Walters’ hit daytime talk show, The View, where she shared no-holds-barred opinions on current events and everyday issues.

Ling’s hard work continues off-camera: she serves as a contributing editor for USA Weekend, and has produced eight documentaries for PBS, several of which have won awards. In April 2001, she fulfilled her late Uncle John’s dream by running and completing the Boston Marathon – with a time of 4:34 – and raising money and awareness for pediatric cancer and the “Ali & Dad’s Army” foundation.

WICT Foundation Benefit Gala

The WICT Foundation Benefit Gala, at which the Accolades will be presented, showcases outstanding industry achievements and commitment to developing women leaders who transform our industry. The 2005 WICT Foundation Benefit Gala is presented by the WICT Leadership Circle: Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., MTV Networks and Charter Communications. For more information on this event, 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 and 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.

###