Women in Cable Telecommunications has announced the recipients of its 2015 Signature Accolades, honoring cable's exemplary public service initiatives that positively impact women.

The Signature Accolades, representing international, national and regional initiatives among cable programmers, operators and industry suppliers, will be presented at the WICT Signature Luncheon on Tuesday, May 5, during NCTA's Internet & Television Expo at McCormick Place in Chicago.

Liberty Global/Virgin Media - Closing the Gender Gap: "Think, Act, Report - Mending the Gap" is the international winner, while A+E Networks/Lifetime's "Stop Breast Cancer for Life campaign and Comcast's  Internet Essentials are the national winners.

On the regiona/local level, Juniper Networks/Juniper Networks Foundation Fund donned the laurels for the Not for Sale Reinvent Program, as did Suddenlink Communications  for its Suddenlink Family First initiative.

"No other industry makes such a positive impact in their communities like those in the cable industry. WICT is honored to showcase and applaud the public service initiatives of these exemplary corporate citizens," said Maria Brennan, CAE, WICT president and CEO.

For more information about the luncheon or to reserve tickets and/or tables, please visit http://www.wictsignatureluncheon.com

Here are WICT's descriptions about the 2015  honorees:

International

Liberty Global/Virgin Media - Closing the Gender Gap: "Think, Act, Report -- Mending the Gap"
Despite progress over many years, the difference between men's and women's average earnings in the UK is still 20%. This is due to a variety of factors, which have been identified through research. Think, Act, Report encourages companies to Think: identify any issues around gender equality, collecting and considering relevant data from across the company; Act: take action to address those issues; Report: on progress, publish information on how they are doing, sharing best practice and case studies. Virgin Media signed up to the Think, Act, Report during 2013 and over the course of 2013/14 put in place a number of initiatives and measures to start on the longer term journey towards gender parity.

National

A+E Networks/Lifetime - Stop Breast Cancer for Life
Lifetime completed its landmark 20th year of the Stop Breast Cancer for Life campaign in 2014. At the time the campaign was founded, there was very little awareness of breast cancer and almost no public conversation about the disease, prevention and possibilities for a cure. Through Stop Breast Cancer for Life, Lifetime has helped put this issue at the center of the public health conversation throughout the year. Now Lifetime's campaign is the cornerstone of a long-term commitment to educate the public about breast cancer and support research to find a cure. With overall awareness of breast cancer on the rise in American society, Lifetime has worked to further the conversation and support the innovative research methods of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation through on-air, online and in-the-community platforms.

Comcast - Internet Essentials
Internet Essentials from Comcast is the nation's largest and most comprehensive broadband adoption program. It provides low-cost broadband service for $9.95 a month; the option to purchase an Internet-ready computer for under $150; and multiple options to access free digital literacy training in print, online, and in-person. Qualified families must have at least one child eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program, including parochial, private, charter, cyberschool and homeschooled students. Since it was introduced, more than 350,000 families nationwide have signed up with Internet Essentials, connecting 1.4 million low-income Americans to the power of the Internet at home. Three-fourths of total program applicants are women who are decision-makers for their households. According to the Department of Agriculture, 31% of the children who qualify for free lunches live in single-parent homes with a female head of household.

Regional/Local

Juniper Networks/Juniper Networks Foundation Fund - Not for Sale Reinvent Program
Not For Sale Reinvent Program is an innovative non-profit dedicated to ending modern-day slavery and human trafficking. A signature partner of Juniper Networks since 2011, NFS successfully leverages technology and the network to educate, build awareness and mobilize their anti-human trafficking movement on a global scale. The Not For Sale Reinvent Program: Bay Area is an innovative program designed to empower survivors of trafficking and at-risk youth to achieve self-sufficiency by working with top Bay Area employers to reinvent how economic opportunities are created, accessed, and sustained. The program successfully worked to increase the capacity for self-sufficiency through work-readiness/professional training for women, while engaging the business community to create opportunities for empowerment and job training.

Suddenlink Communications - Suddenlink Family First
Family First is one of the values at the core of Suddenlink's culture, a value that employees are encouraged to apply not only in their own homes, but also in the communities they serve. Local teams identify the most prominent needs of families in their communities and create or support initiatives that help address those needs. In most cases, this is accomplished through a mix of financial support, volunteerism, and promotional assistance. Suddenlink has worked with over a dozen local nonprofit agencies to address a variety of women and family needs. In several instances, local Suddenlink teams have worked with nonprofits to empower women and families who have been impacted by domestic violence.

WICT Signature Accolades nominations are now being accepted, with final forms due by Feb. 20, to honor cable companies at the WICT Signature Luncheon on May 5.

The luncheon will be held from 11:30-1:30 p.m. at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL, in connection with INTX: The Internet & Television Expo. 

"We are honored to showcase those organizations who invest time and resources in their communities to positively impact the lives of so many women," CAE, President & CEO of WICT Maria E. Brennan said in a release. "Our Signature Luncheon is the perfect forum to recognize the corporate citizenship of the cable industry and applaud their stand-out achievements."

Comcast NBCUniversal is the Premier Sponsor, with Accenture and Neustar, Inc. as Champion Sponsors of the Luncheon.