WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) today announced the recipients of its 2015 Signature Accolades, honoring cable's exemplary public service initiatives that positively impact women. The Signature Accolades will be presented at the WICT Signature Luncheon on Tuesday, May 5, in conjunction with NCTA's Internet & Television Expo at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois.
The 2015 Accolade honorees represent international, national and regional initiatives among cable programmers, operators and industry suppliers. Winners are as follows:
International:
Liberty Global/Virgin Media – Closing the
Gender Gap: "Think, Act, Report – Mending the Gap."
National:
A+E Networks/Lifetime – Stop Breast Cancer for
Life campaign
Comcast – Internet Essentials
Regional/Local:
Juniper Networks/Juniper Networks Foundation
Fund – Not for Sale Reinvent Program
Suddenlink
Communications – Suddenlink Family First
"No other industry makes such a positive impact in their communities like those in the cable industry. WICT is honored to showcase and applaud the public service initiatives of these exemplary corporate citizens,” said Maria E. Brennan, CAE, WICT President & CEO.
For more information about the luncheon or to reserve tickets and/or tables, please visit http://www.wictsignatureluncheon.com
About the Signature Accolade Honorees
International
Liberty Global/Virgin Media – Closing the Gender Gap: "Think,
Act, Report -- Mending the Gap"
Despite progress over many
years, the difference between men’s and women’s average earnings in the
UK is still 20%. This is due to a variety of factors, which have been
identified through research. Think, Act, Report encourages
companies to Think: identify any issues around gender equality,
collecting and considering relevant data from across the company; Act:
take action to address those issues; Report: on progress, publish
information on how they are doing, sharing best practice and case
studies. Virgin Media signed up to the Think, Act, Report during
2013 and over the course of 2013/14 put in place a number of initiatives
and measures to start on the longer term journey towards gender parity.
National
A+E Networks/Lifetime – Stop Breast Cancer for Life
Lifetime
completed its landmark 20th year of the Stop Breast Cancer for Life
campaign in 2014. At the time the campaign was founded, there was very
little awareness of breast cancer and almost no public conversation
about the disease, prevention and possibilities for a cure. Through Stop
Breast Cancer for Life, Lifetime has helped put this issue at the
center of the public health conversation throughout the year. Now
Lifetime’s Stop Breast Cancer for Life campaign is the
cornerstone of a long-term commitment to educate the public about breast
cancer and support research to find a cure. With overall awareness of
breast cancer on the rise in American society, Lifetime has worked to
further the conversation and support the innovative research methods of
the Breast Cancer Research Foundation through on-air, online and
in-the-community platforms.
Comcast – Internet Essentials
Internet Essentials
from Comcast is the nation's largest and most comprehensive broadband
adoption program. It provides low-cost broadband service for $9.95 a
month; the option to purchase an Internet-ready computer for under $150;
and multiple options to access free digital literacy training in print,
online, and in-person. Qualified families must have at least one child
eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program, including
parochial, private, charter, cyberschool and homeschooled students.
Since it was introduced, more than 350,000 families nationwide have
signed up with Internet Essentials, connecting 1.4 million
low-income Americans to the power of the Internet at home. Three-fourths
of total program applicants are women who are decision-makers for their
households. According to the Department of Agriculture, 31% of the
children who qualify for free lunches live in single-parent homes with a
female head of household.
Regional/Local
Juniper Networks/Juniper Networks Foundation Fund – Not for
Sale Reinvent Program
Not For Sale Reinvent Program
is an innovative non‐profit dedicated to ending modern‐day slavery and
human trafficking. A signature partner of Juniper Networks since 2011,
NFS successfully leverages technology and the network to educate, build
awareness and mobilize their anti‐human trafficking movement on a global
scale. The Not For Sale Reinvent Program: Bay Area is an
innovative program designed to empower survivors of trafficking and
at‐risk youth to achieve self‐sufficiency by working with top Bay Area
employers to reinvent how economic opportunities are created, accessed,
and sustained. The program successfully worked to increase the capacity
for self-sufficiency through work-readiness/professional training for
women, while engaging the business community to create opportunities for
empowerment and job training.
Suddenlink Communications – Suddenlink Family First
Family
First is one of the values at the core of Suddenlink’s culture, a
value that employees are encouraged to apply not only in their own
homes, but also in the communities they serve. Local teams identify the
most prominent needs of families in their communities and create or
support initiatives that help address those needs. In most cases, this
is accomplished through a mix of financial support, volunteerism, and
promotional assistance. Suddenlink has worked with over a dozen local
nonprofit agencies to address a variety of women and family needs. In
several instances, local Suddenlink teams have worked with nonprofits to
empower women and families who have been impacted by domestic violence.
About WICT
For over thirty-five years, Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) has partnered with cable and telecommunications leaders to provide professional development programs, research and services that help advance women in cable media. With nearly 10,000 members, WICT is the oldest and largest professional association serving women in the cable and telecommunications industry. Comcast NBCUniversal, Time Warner Cable, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. and Suddenlink Communications are WICT's Strategic Touchstone Partners. Please visit www.wict.org or follow @WICT on Twitter for more information.