Sets the Stage for Diversity Activities and Events
Kaitz Foundation, NAMIC and WICT Programs Part of Diversity Events at This Year's Show
Washington, D.C.
– Highlighting diversity within the cable industry and recognizing leaders who have made a positive difference by promoting diversity will be the subject of several high-profile activities at The 2004 National Show, the 53rd Annual Convention & International Exposition of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), May 2-5, 2004, in New Orleans.
Key industry organizations that have focused on diversity – including the Walter Kaitz Foundation, Women in Cable & Telecommunications (WICT) and the National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) – are partnering with NCTA to provide a range of diversity-related events and sessions throughout the conference.
The Supplier Diversity Connection
The 5th Annual Supplier Diversity Connection – co-hosted by the NCTA and the Walter Kaitz Foundation – aims to foster relationships among minority- and women-owned businesses and cable companies that utilize diverse outside contractors.
On Tuesday, May 4, beginning with remarks from Debbie A. Smith, the new Executive Director of the Kaitz Foundation, sessions will focus on various aspects of creating and nurturing connections between vendors and cable companies. The keynote luncheon speaker will be Ralph G. Moore, President of Ralph G. Moore & Associates, one of the nation's premier change management firms specializing in integrating supplier diversity into corporate strategy. The day will conclude with a Networking Reception, featuring remarks from Glenn Britt, Chairman & CEO, Time Warner Cable; and John Clark, President & CEO, Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE).
For more information on the Supplier Diversity Connection, contact Helen Dimsdale of NCTA Communications & Public Affairs at 202/775-3629.
Women in Cable & Telecommunications (WICT)
WICT will host a two-hour conversation on Sunday, May 3, with WICT Visionaries, a panel highlighting women who have blazed the path of leadership development in the cable industry. Moderator Susan Scott, Senior Vice President of Distribution for The Weather Channel will lead a discussion of the past, present and future of leadership in the industry, with Kay Koplovitz, Board Chair, Reality Central; Susan Packard, President, Scripps Networks Affiliate Sales and International Development; former industry executive Rori Peters; Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, President & CEO, WICT; and former cable company and association executive June Travis.
In addition, WICT, along with Multichannnel News and Oxygen, will present the Third Annual Bernice Coe Award at a special reception. This year's recipient is Nani Shin-Wannemacher, Account Director, A&E Television Networks.
For more information on WICT's activities at the Show, contact Deborah Stewart of WICT at 703/ 234-9804.
The 2004 NAMIC Annual Awards Breakfast
The NAMIC Annual Awards Breakfast, scheduled for Wednesday, May 5, pays homage to industry leaders and companies for their outstanding commitment to advancing NAMIC's mission of diversity advocacy. The 2004 Honorary Chair is Tom Freston, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, MTV Networks. This year's NAMIC honorees are:
• Stanley B. Thomas Lifetime Achievement Award:
Robert Gerrard, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Scripps Networks
• Winston "Tony" Cox - Executive Achievement Award:
George Bodenheimer, President, ESPN, Inc. & ABC Sports
• L. Patrick Mellon Mentorship Award:
Marva Smalls, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs & Administration & Chief of Staff, Nickelodeon Networks
• Friend of NAMIC Awards:
Que Spaulding, Former President, Distribution, STARZ!
Rob Stoddard, Senior Vice President, Communications & Public Affairs, NCTA
NAMIC and the NCTA also have partnered to produce a session scheduled for Monday, May 3: The Multicultural Marketplace: Who Gets It? This panel, focusing on how the rapidly growing multi-ethnic market represents a crucial resource for cable companies, will be moderated by George Herrera, President, The Herrera-Cristina Group, and former President & CEO of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
For more information on NAMIC's activities at the Show, contact Kathy Johnson of NAMIC 714/ 371-4077.
Sunday Brunch: "State of the Hispanic Television Marketplace"
Multichannel News and Broadcasting & Cable are presenting a brunch and panel discussion on the opportunity posed to programmers and operators by growth in the number of Hispanic households in the U.S. "State of the Hispanic Television Marketplace" is scheduled for Sunday, May 2; the event requires separate registration. For more information, contact Sandy Friedman of Reed Business Information at 646/746-6740.
"The breadth and depth of the diversity-related activities at this year's National Show present a great opportunity for cable executives to learn best practices, hear great ideas, and work with peers to further expand the fruits of diversity throughout the cable industry," said Barbara York, Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, NCTA.
Additional, up-to-the-minute information for The National Show is available on its official Web site (www.thenationalshow.com) or from the NCTA Department of Industry Affairs (202/775-3669).
NCTA is the principal trade association of the cable television industry in the United States. NCTA represents cable operators serving more than 90 percent of the nation's cable television households and more than 200 cable program networks, as well as equipment suppliers and providers of other services to the cable industry.