Mission Media's Virtual Career Fair Opens New Pathways for Veterans
Earlier this week, hundreds of military veterans from across the country participated in a virtual job fair hosted by Mission Media, the cable industry's consortium dedicated to veteran recruitment and retention. Mission Media, which is managed by Content & Connectivity Human Resources (formerly known in the industry as CTHRA), is an initiative that launched four years ago, and is comprised of MSOs, programmers, industry suppliers, and industry professionals and trade associations, including NCTA. The group is essentially a collective effort to offer the necessary training, resources, and
Survey: Cable's Diversity Efforts Exceed National Benchmarks in Several Areas
Every two years, WICT and NAMIC—the cable industry's associations representing women and people of color—conduct a study that measures diversity demographics within the workforce according to factors such as pay equity, advancement opportunities, and resources for work/life integration. The 2019 AIM/PAR Workforce Survey initial results were revealed during the industry's Diversity Week last week in New York City, and demonstrated steady strides in a few key areas since 2017. These included increases in the percentage of people of color in the industry, and higher rates of women rising to
Cable TV Continues to Come Out on Top at the Emmys
Last night's 71st Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles was full of several historic "firsts" as beloved shows and talent were recognized for top-notch cinematic programming and powerful storytelling that keep viewers coming back for more. Together with the Creative Arts Emmys, cable networks came away with 61 Emmy wins, which surpassed all broadcast networks and streaming services. HBO took the title for the network with the most awards with a total of 34 out of a record-breaking 137 nominations. In this year's competition, National Geographic came in second for cable networks after HBO with
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Take Center Stage at the Annual Walter Kaitz Foundation Dinner
On Wednesday, the 36th Annual Walter Kaitz Foundation Fundraising Dinner marked the capstone of the media and entertainment industry’s Diversity Week in New York City. This year, the dinner’s theme, “We Are All Inclusion,” focused on the crucial need to move beyond pure numbers to become a more inclusive workforce – from hiring, to business operations, to representation in decision making roles. “True inclusion is a thoughtful, vigorous and disciplined exercise needed to develop strategies to ensure we live up to our goals in business, in society and in life,” said Michelle Ray, the foundation
Fostering Diversity and Inclusion in the Cable Industry: The Journey of a T. Howard Foundation Fellow
With the cable industry's annual Diversity Week currently underway—when leaders and organizations gather to champion and further inclusion efforts—it's a good time to take a look at the key programs that are advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the cable workforce. Working alongside many of NCTA's members as a major diversity advocate is the Walter Kaitz Foundation. The foundation provides key funding for many diversity initiatives across the media and entertainment landscape, and is supported by its iconic annual Kaitz Dinner, the most prestigious fundraising event in the
Time for Congress to Act on Privacy
As Congress looks to firm up its legislative agenda for this fall and through the end of the year, it's time for action on a comprehensive federal privacy law. Earlier this week, the Business Roundtable—an association representing a broad cross section of American companies in nearly every sector of the economy—urged Congress to enact such a privacy law that establishes a new framework for today's digital economy. At NCTA, we (and our member companies) have been calling for Congress to act on a national data privacy framework that would codify strong and enforceable consumer protections. Last
How Digital Piracy is Harming America's Economy
A report issued earlier this summer pointed to a dramatic rise in digital video piracy and the negative ramifications it has on the media and entertainment space, the U.S. economy, and ultimately on consumers. According to "Impacts of Digital Video Piracy on the U.S. Economy," released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and NERA Economic Consulting, "Digital video piracy results in significant losses to the U.S. economy, harming businesses ranging from content production firms to the innovative technology companies that are driving the digital distribution revolution." Unfortunately, while TV
Back-to-School Time Means Brushing up on Online Safety
School is back in session. As parents with school-aged children say goodbye to summer and hello to a new year, they also find themselves trying to strike the right balance in their homes when it comes to technology and internet usage, homework responsibilities, and quality family time. And while the explosion of connected devices, apps, and numerous websites in recent years has unleashed new possibilities for all, ensuring that kids stay safe online can prove to be challenging. This past summer, NCTA intern Sierra Cole shared her family's perspective on what it's like to parent in today's
Viacom and Pluto TV Deliver a Big Win for TV Viewers
Earlier this year, Viacom made a huge move when it acquired Pluto TV, a streaming start up that launched five years ago. To the delight of its viewers, dozens of shows and programs have been added to their TV lineups, and all at no added cost to their subscriptions. Pluto TV is essentially an ad-supported, free-to-consumer streaming service that delivers a wide variety of content categories and channels in a traditional linear TV format. The service now has over 18 million subscribers. As for why the future is bright for TV viewers with this latest venture, Viacom CEO Bob Bakish said in a
Celebrating Jobs that Keep America Connected This Labor Day
As Labor Day approaches, Americans step back to celebrate the workers who fill a number of jobs around the country. A recent report found that the cable industry supports 3 million American jobs, up 1.2 million since 2002, with over 300 jobs in every congressional district. The individuals who fill these roles maintain the infrastructure that keeps the internet running and deliver the entertainment experiences that many Americans enjoy. Over the past year, NCTA interviewed employees throughout the industry to explore some of their day-to-day responsibilities. In honor of Labor Day, below are