The event, with no admission charge, features an all-star lineup of panelists in the pay-TV realm: Emma Brackett, VP of Content & Programming, at DirectTV; Chris Fenger, EVP and COO at RCN, Grande and WAVE; Camille Joseph, Group VP of State Gov’t Affairs, East Division, Charter Communications; Jose Velez Silva, VP of Multicultural Marketing, Comcast, and Rebecca Simpson, Executive Director, International Video Strategy, Comcast. Moderators are Burke Berendes, partner, at  Condista, and Iris Gonzalez, public affairs, also at Condista.

To register, RSVP here or email info@strongwomenvote.com

The Hall of Fame was originally expected to be held April 30 at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York. The Center said it is postpoining the event “out of an abundance of caution for public health,” adding that a new date for the gala will be announced soon.

“The health and safety of our Cable Hall of Fame attendees, honorees, and community is always our highest priority. Given the current situation, we believe the best decision is to reschedule our celebration for a later date,” said Cable Center CEO Jana Henthorn said in a press release. “We look forward to celebrating the 2020 honorees this fall, and express our gratitude for your understanding and continued support.”

This year’s event was set to honor seven new inductees -- CEO of Baker Media and co-founder of CNBC Bridget Baker; former Charter Communications EVP of IT Jim Blackley; Urban One founder and chairwoman Cathy Hughes; Urban One CEO and TV One chairman and CEO Alfred Liggins III; Marcus Cable founder and cable pioneer Jeff Marcus; Comcast Cable CEO Dave Watson; and WarnerMedia News & Sports chairman and CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker. 

#coronavirus #COVID-19

The association put out an announcement (below) in response to questions from attendees and exhibitors in light of the cancellation of the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona last week due to the coronavirus.

NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton said the show is absolutely still on and, in fact, had one of its best sales weeks last week in terms of floor exhibition space.

He said they are taking "all precautions" to ensure the safety of attendees. Wharton said attendance is tracking on par with last year.

Below is the announcement NAB made to reassure attendees:

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), organizer of NAB Show, affirmed the 2020 NAB Show is set to take place as planned, April 18 – 22 in Las Vegas. The association is closely monitoring COVID-19, commonly known as coronavirus, and is prepared to devote whatever resources necessary to ensure a safe and productive NAB Show experience.

NAB Show is the premier event driving the evolution of media and entertainment. It is an engine for commerce and a critical launchpad for products and services expected to revolutionize the business. The convention’s 1,600 exhibitors and 90,000 attendees rely on the annual NAB Show to raise their profile and meet business goals.

While the NAB stands firm in its commitment to hold the convention as planned, the health and safety of attendees and participants are NAB’s top priority. To that end, NAB is dedicated to providing rapid responses and assistance in support of the global NAB Show community’s participation plans. The event management team has launched a COVID-19 resource page on the NAB Show website, where updates will be provided.

Currently, NAB is:

1.Adhering to all guidance and recommended safety measures issued by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as state and local health organizations.

2.Working with the Las Vegas Convention Center, the airport authority, and area hotels and resorts to coordinate appropriate safety procedures.

3.Following CDC recommendations and protocols for heightened levels of cleanliness at event facilities.

4.Making accommodations and actively encouraging attendees to take common-sense precautions and follow CDC guidelines to prevent the spread of illness.

5.Ensuring medical care is readily accessible to address immediate health concerns.

6. Working with China-based exhibitors and registered attendees to evaluate options for those unable to attend due to travel restrictions. Of note, NAB Show attendance from China, although growing, represented less than 2 percent of total registered attendees in 2019.

NAB is taking COVID-19 very seriously and is fully invested and prepared to host a successful NAB Show in Las Vegas. The city of Las Vegas is maintaining rigorous cleanliness and safety standards throughout public spaces, resorts and meeting facilities, and hosts successful trade events daily. Meanwhile, NAB Show has experienced an uptick in exhibit sales, attendee registration and hotel bookings in recent weeks, and conference program speakers are confirmed daily.

For more information about NAB Show’s COVID-19 preparedness and updates, visit nabshow.com/coronavirus. 

WICT leads things off Monday (Oct. 15) with its annual Leadership Conference. NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Group chairman Bonnie Hammer will deliver the opening keynote at the gathering, which bears the theme “The Intersection of Imagination & Activation.”

WICT Gathering Leads Off

Highlights of the conference include Monday’s Touchstones Luncheon, in which WICT will honor its 2018 Women of the Year: Italia Commisso Weinand, executive vice president of programming and human resources for Mediacom Communications, and Mary Campbell, chief merchandising and interactive officer, Qurate Retail Group. (All three events cited here are at the Marriott Marquis Hotel.)

Author and journalist Joanne Lipman will provide the keynote address on Oct. 16 based on her book, That’s What She Said: What Men Need to Know (and Women Need to Tell Them) About Working Together.

WICT will also bring back its “Pearls of Wisdom” series of mini-keynotes delivered by influential female executives, including Michelle Gadsden-Williams, managing director, inclusion and diversity lead, North America, Accenture; Roma Khanna, CEO of Revolt Media and TV; Matt Abrahams, lecturer, organizational behavior, Stanford Graduate School of Business and co-founder, BoldEcho LLC; Francesca Gino, professor of business administration, Harvard Business School; and Masih Alinejad-Ghomi, journalist and author of The Wind in My Hair: My Fight for Freedom in Modern Iran.

The two-day, 32nd annual NAMIC Conference begins on Tuesday (Oct. 16), with the theme “Empower Leaders, Create Super Heroes.” Led by Shuanise Washington, the organization’s newly named president, and NAMIC Conference co-chairs Italia Commisso Weinand and TV One general manager Michelle Rice, the conference’s numerous panels and events will offer insight towards the industry’s efforts to advance greater inclusion and diversity.

The conference will open with a keynote address from CNN anchor Don Lemon and will close with the organization’s annual awards luncheon Wednesday (Oct. 17). BET Networks chairman and CEO emeritus Debra Lee will receive NAMIC’s Mickey Leland Humanitarian Achievement Award.

The conference will also feature the L. Patrick Mellon Mentorship Program Luncheon. Presented in partnership with WICT and sponsored by the Walter Kaitz Foundation, the program will feature John Kobara, executive vice president and chief operating officer for the California Community Foundation.

During last year’s Diversity Week, NAMIC and WICT teamed to present reports on workforce diversity for women and minorities. While the next report is not set until 2019, WICT president and CEO Maria Brennan said the week’s events put cable in a positive light relative to its diversity goals and initiatives.

“Our industry can teach other business sectors a thing or two about workplace diversity and inclusion,” Brennan said. “Not only does cable allow WICT and NAMIC to measure its workforce diversity, we set aside a full week to convene our stakeholders to share best practices. I know of no other business that does that.”

Kaitz Dinner Is Centerpiece

Diversity Week’s centerpiece is the 35th annual Walter Kaitz Foundation fundraising dinner on Wednesday (Oct. 17). The Kaitz dinner raises funds to support media and telecommunications industry diversity groups. The 2017 dinner raised more than $1.6 million. Under the theme “Diversity Through the Decades,” the dinner will celebrate African-American-targeted cable network TV One as 2018 Diversity Champion and the Boys & Girls Club of America as Diversity Advocate.

“These two organizations epitomize the Walter Kaitz Foundation’s belief that a demonstrated commitment to enhance diversity and inclusion can be achieved in groundbreaking and innovative ways across all organizations,” Michelle Ray, the newly named executive director of the Walter Kaitz Foundation, said. “This 35th anniversary milestone offers our industry a unique opportunity to reflect upon the work we’ve all done to make diversity and inclusion one of the cornerstones of our industry while we chart a course for the future.”

TV One’s Michelle Rice, a former Kaitz fellow, told Multichannel News that her network is honored to be recognized by the Kaitz Foundation for contributing to diversity and inclusion on television.

“When we launched in 2004, there was only BET in the marketplace, and people then were questioning whether there needed to be another black network,” Rice said. “Now, if you look at the proliferation of black content across the platform, we know the answer to that question as the industry now understands the value of this audience, and we believe that we had a lot to do with that.”

Pioneer chairwoman Susan Bitter Smith said in a release, “We believe our 50th Anniversary Banquet will be the sold out event of the year. It will be a once-in-a-lifetime night filled with special friends and special moments that celebrate the accomplishments of cable achievers over the past five decades. It’s a historical milestone that we are commemorating in many ways including a new website and a 50th anniversary logo.”

The new site -- CableTVPioneers.com -- provides details on how to register and become a sponsor for the upcoming banquet. The website also provides information on membership, application procedures and forms, historical video interviews, member and class rosters.

Vice chair Ben Hooks Jr. said in the release: “The Pioneer legacy is synonymous with the growth and success of the cable industry. This new website enables us to generate awareness about these members and offer information about the organization’s events.”

Pioneers in good standing may nominate candidates for 2016 by downloading an application at www.cabletvpioneers.com. Candidates must have a minimum of 20 years experience directly related to the cable industry as well as have made significant contributions to the industry business and to their communities. More information about the event, including sponsorship opportunities, also is on the site.

The 50th Cable Pioneer induction ceremony and banquet celebration will be held at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston, Mass., on Sunday, May 15, 2016. As per tradition, the Pioneers’ banquet occurs the night before INTX: The Internet and Television Expo at the Boston Convention Center. 

The Cable TV Pioneers was founded in 1966 during the NCTA convention in Miami, Fla. The original fledgling group of 21 entrepreneurs has grown to more than 700 men and women over the past 50 years.