WICT To Address Congress On Women’s Issues

Women in Cable Telecommunications will be on the Hill Thursday discussing with Congressional leaders the cable industry’s achievements in improving workforce issues pertinent to women.

WICT President and CEO Benita Fitzgerald Mosley will address Rep. Diane Watson (D.-Calif.), chair of the Congressional Entertainment Industries Caucus, and other Congress members and staff about the organization’s PAR Initiative, which measures the status of women employees in the cable industry. WICT is expected to release findings from this year’s initiative later this gall.

WICT’s Hill appearance comes on the eve of a House vote on The Paycheck Fairness Act, which seeks to strengthen the Equal Pay Act and close numerous loopholes in the 45-year-old law that has enabled employers to evade liability in female-based wage discrimination cases.

“We’ve worked extremely hard to shed light on issues critical to women working in cable, and it’s exciting that our hard work now has the attention of Congress,” said Fitzgerald Mosely. “The cable industry is setting the standard when it comes to implementing pay equity policies, creating advancement opportunities for women and instituting work/life resources. By sharing our findings with Congress and the public, we hope to enlighten as many employers who will listen on how to achieve a more equitable work environment.”

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.