WICT
Timeline
1979
Women in Cable is founded at the Western Cable Show in Anaheim, Calif., by a group of women building a networking base in an industry dominated by men.
1981
WIC holds its first Accolades Breakfast to honor companies within the industry that address women’s issues in programming and in the professional working environment.
1982
The first WIC professional education course takes place in Philadelphia. It offers training not available to many professionals and opens the door to the relationship between WIC and the University of Denver, which continues today through case study work featured at the WICT Forum.
1985
The first National Management Conference takes place.
1985
The WIC Foundation is established to address long-range work force productivity trends and issues that have an impact on the cable industry. The foundation serves as a catalyst for change through research, development and awareness efforts.
1987
WIC and the University of Denver Center for Management Development jointly create the Certificate in Cable Management program, which later becomes the Management Education series.
1987
The first Executive Development Seminar is held as a way to help women advance in the cable industry.
1988
WIC holds its first Leadership Conference, in which national and chapter leaders come together to promote skills for chapter management, recruitment, programming, fiscal responsibility and leadership.
1991
The Past President’s Council is formed to meet the needs of top women in the industry. This program offers meetings on a variety of political and advocacy topics.
1991
WIC headquarters opens in Chicago. Full-time staff is hired.
1993
The Betsy Magness Leadership Institute is formed to provide a year-long program of direct feedback, personal development and industry involvement for women at senior- and upper-middle-management levels.
1994
WIC membership reaches 2,000.
1995
Women in Cable changes its name to Women in Cable & Telecommunications to reflect the convergence of the cable and telecommunications industries.
1996
WICT membership tops 3,000.
1997
The first sold-out Accolades Breakfast takes place, selling more than 750 tickets.
2001
WICT hires its first full-time paid president, Olympic gold medalist and former U.S. Olympic Committee VP Benita Mosley. Membership tops 4,000.
2003
WICT headquarters moves from Chicago to Chantilly, Va., near Washington.
2003
WICT unveils its Touchstones of Leadership-seven attributes that will drive much of the association’s course of work in programming, development, recruitment and research.
2003
The WICT Foundation unveils the PAR Initiative, a groundbreaking advocacy program that measures and supports pay equity for the sexes, advancement opportunities for women and resources for work/life support. Cox Communications and The Weather Channel are named best operator and best programmer, respectively, for women in cable.
2004
WICT partners with Cable Positive and Horowitz Associates, with the New York WICT chapter leading the way, to create Cable’s Spring Break Week, an industry effort to consolidate the events of each organization into one week in New York. n
History and photos courtesy of Women in Cable & Telecommunications.