Diversity Committee - Diversity Resource Directory

AWRT. The American Women in Radio and Television, Inc. is a voice and resource for women in the electronic media industry. Its goal is to advance the impact of women by educating, advocating and acting as a resource to members of this industry. Its magazine, Making Waves, is published quarterly and, every year, has one issue devoted exclusively to diversity best practices.

Emma Bowen Foundation. This foundation creates career opportunities in the media industry for minority youth through a unique five-year work/study program focusing on scholastic achievement, direct work experience, and professional development. Students enter the program as high school seniors and work each summer until graduation from college.

Kaitz Foundation. Founded in 1983, the Walter Kaitz Foundation is a nonprofit organization that seeks to encourage, enhance and expand diversity in the cable and telecommunications industry.

MMTC. The Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, based in Washington D.C., is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation committed to promoting and preserving equal opportunity and civil rights in the mass media and telecommunications industries. MMTC is an association of volunteer lawyers, engineers, broadcasters, cablecasters, telecommunicators, and scholars providing pro bono services to the civil rights community on communications policy issues. MMTC represents 50 organizations before the FCC in various proceedings, including the National Council of La Raza, the Congressional Black Caucus, the National Urban League and the Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ.

NABEF. The National Association of Broadcasters Educational Foundation develops and supports educational programs and outreach initiatives designed to provide information on topical issues, increase diversity, highlight community service, and promote philanthropy.

NAMIC. The National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications is a 501(c)(6) trade association founded in 1980. Through its 17 nationwide chapters, NAMIC educates, advocates and empowers for multiethnic diversity in the telecom industry. Members include cable operators, programmers, and hardware suppliers. Every two years, NAMIC updates its report on the status of minority and employment in the telecom industry.

WICT. Women in Cable & Telecommunications has 22 local chapters and satellites serving over 4,800 members across the country. Its website features research on women in the cable industry. Its PAR Initiative, for example, measures and supports the advancement of industry women against standards such as pay equity and advancement opportunities. The website also offers online registration for all WICT events, scholarships and awards; discussion boards; and information on a variety of topics related to women in the industry.

FCC's EEO Rules. The FCC's Equal Employment Opportunity Rules prohibit discrimination and require outreach for job openings. To ensure compliance with these rules, staff members in the Policy Division of the Media Bureau oversee the broadcast and multi-channel video programming distributors (MVPD), including cable.

FCC's OCBO. The FCC's Office of Communications Business Opportunities ("OCBO") serves as the principal advisor to the Chairman and the Commissioners on issues, rulemakings, and policies affecting small, women, and minority-owned communications businesses. OCBO also implements the statutory requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act and the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act and coordinates various matters for the agency with the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Best of the Best Practices. At its December 10, 2004, meeting at Florida Memorial College, a historically Black college ("HBC") in Miami, Florida, the Diversity Committee adopted a report prepared by the Career Advancement Subcommittee on the best-of-the-best practices to foster workplace diversity. The report makes several findings: 1) CEOs have a significant role in championing diversity efforts by actively participating with managers and boards of directors on company initiatives; 2) communicating within the company the business case for inclusion and diversity is vital to the success of those efforts; 3) assessment and evaluation are key factors in meeting organizational targets and goals; 4) incorporating diversity goals into performance appraisals encourages managers to make diversity a priority; and 5) training managers and staff on how to achieve diversity goals helps to disseminate guidance throughout the organization.

Best Practices Report. At its June 14, 2004, meeting the Diversity Committee adopted a report prepared by the Career Advancement Subcommittee on best practices that most effectively promote workforce diversity. The Report, entitled "Workplace Diversity: A Global Necessity and an Ongoing Commitment," surveyed leading companies engaged in diversity initiatives in an effort to examine the range of efforts being used by companies to keep pace with changing worker and consumer demographics in the 21st Century.