WASHINGTON, D.C. – Bright House Networks and Scripps Networks will be honored at the Walter Kaitz Foundation 25th Anniversary Fundraising Dinner scheduled for Wednesday, September 17, 2008, at the Hilton New York in New York City.

These two companies will be recognized with the Diversity Champion Award which annually goes to those individuals or organizations that act as catalysts for diversity within their respective organizations or throughout the cable industry.  These organizations or individuals motivate the cable industry to embrace and value diversity, by serving as role models, inspiring and encouraging excellence, removing barriers that hinder progress, and empowering others with opportunities.

“For 25 years the Walter Kaitz Foundation dinner has brought together an entire industry to focus on the importance of diversity,” said David Porter, Executive Director of the Walter Kaitz Foundation.  “The industry applauds Bright House Networks and Scripps for their dedication to diversity and their commitment to creating better places for women and people of color to work.”

Scripps Networks

Scripps Networks’ commitment to diversity begins with its president, John Lansing, who chairs Scripps’ Diversity Committee, an initiative that informs and guides the company’s long-standing focus on diversity and inclusion as a business imperative.  In recent years, Scripps Networks has intensified its efforts around diversity – a core value of the company since its inception – with strategic teams centered on work force, community, content, audience and suppliers.

As a result, Scripps Networks has significantly increased the presence of multicultural experts on its networks and has initiated a supplier diversity program that includes participation in the programs of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), with clear measurements established throughout the company to drive new relationships with minority vendors.

Scripps is also dedicated to advancing diversity within its workforce.  Thirty-eight percent of its executive team is currently made up of women or people of color.  To help boost this percentage, Scripps launched the Women’s Leadership Project (WLP), an initiative designed to enhance leadership development of female employees where senior executives and outside speakers share their knowledge and experience with employees.  Scripps has also cultivated alliances with local and national organizations that promote diversity, including sponsorships of the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit, a professional leadership conference designed especially for executive women of color, and the upcoming National Urban League Conference.   

Bright House Networks

Bright House Networks has a strong commitment to diversity stemming from its most senior leaders who push diversification within their most senior ranks, and who believe hiring and promotion trends should ensure workforce diversity at all levels.  As an operator based in a number of diverse communities, the company has worked diligently to ensure that its workforce, suppliers and community activities are reflective of the markets it serves. 

Bright House Networks is an active partner with community-based organizations in areas the operator serves.  Partnerships with organizations such as the Hispanic Business Initiative Fund in Orlando, the United Negro College Fund in Tampa, the 100 Black Men of Indianapolis, and the Kern Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Bakersfield, to name a few, are valued and ongoing.  At the state level in Florida they have also supported the NAACP and the Florida Hispanic and Black Legislative Caucus.  The company also employs a dedicated Multi-Cultural Community Relations Director to build on the already strong relationships the company maintains at its largest division, Tampa Bay, and produces a weekly public affairs segment called “Connext” was launched to spotlights important regional issues, strengthens relationships with local government and business leaders, and provide interesting and current information to the Hispanic community.

In addition to providing its cash and in-kind resources, a significant number of senior managers on the leadership team serve on the boards of diverse organizations both on the local level and within the cable industry. Also, within the cable industry, Bright House Networks has been a strong and generous supporter of the diversity focused organizations, including NAMIC, Emma Bowen Foundation, and WICT.

Bright House Networks is also home to two 24-hour news channels, Central Florida News 13 and Bay News 9 delivering local news and weather all the time.  Diversity is deeply ceded in the fabric of the news coverage it provides and the on-air talent it hires to speak to the community.   In 1999, the first ever 24 hour Spanish language news channel was launched in Tampa Bay, Bay News 9 en Español, with a sister station, Central Florida News 13 en Español, launched in 2006.

2008 Dinner Details

The 25th Anniversary Fundraising Dinner will be held on Wednesday, September 17, 2008, at the Hilton New York. The dinner typically raises more than $1 million to fund diversity-oriented projects and programs for three industry-based diversity organizations: the Emma L. Bowen Foundation, the National Association of Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) and Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT).

Sponsorship opportunity information, ticket order forms and hotel reservation forms are now available on the Walter Kaitz Foundation Dinner website at www.walterkaitz.org/dinner.  For more information, contact Michelle Ray, Program Director at the Foundation by phone at 202-222-2490, or via email at mray@walterkaitz.org.

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