WLS-TV ANNUAL EEO PUBLIC FILE REPORT, AUGUST 1, 2013
WLS-TV ANNUAL EEO PUBLIC FILE REPORT, AUGUST 1, 2013
*UPDATED ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2013 (see page 9)
This Annual EEO Public File Report is filed on behalf of WLS-TV (the "Station" or "ABC7") in compliance with the FCC's EEO reporting requirements.
This report includes information from July 16, 2012 through July 15, 2013.
General Policy
WLS-TV has a longstanding commitment to a policy of equal employment and advancement opportunities for all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, gender, marital status, religion, age, national origin or citizenship status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a Vietnam era or special disabled veteran, or any other protected characteristic as established by law.
This commitment to fair employment practices applies to every aspect of the employment process to ensure that equal consideration is extended to all employees and applicants in recruitment, selection procedures, employee development, performance evaluation, promotions, transfers, benefits and other aspects of employment.
It is WLS-TV's policy to promote the realization of equal employment opportunity through a positive, continuing program of specific recruitment, outreach, hiring, promotion and other practices designed to ensure the full realization of equal employment opportunity.
Responsibility
John Idler, President and General Manager of WLS-TV, is in charge of the implementation and administration of the Equal Opportunity Programs and the accuracy of the information in this report.
Job Vacancy Information
WLS-TV is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to meeting and surpassing the Station's EEO information dissemination obligations. Notices of all full-time job vacancies were posted on the Station's website, on the website of The Walt Disney Company, its ultimate parent company, and on the Illinois Broadcasters Association website. Notices of all full-time job openings were also sent to other professional groups and minority and women's organizations that requested such notification or that the Station believed could be useful referral sources. See Attachment A, the Station's Recruitment Source List, for names, addresses, contact names and numbers of the organizations to which the Station directly sends notices of job openings. Job-specific recruitment sources are itemized in Attachment B below.
The Station will continue to actively seek out new recruitment sources to ensure that word of all job openings is distributed to a broad pool of potential applicants.
Positions Filled
During the reporting period (July 16, 2012 through July 15, 2013), WLS-TV filled eight full-time job vacancies. See Attachment B for information about the recruitment initiatives used and the results of those recruitment initiatives.
Supplemental Recruitment Measures
(A) Internship Program: WLS-TV is continuing to offer internships during each fall, winter/spring and summer sessions to college and university students (including women and minorities). An internship generally lasts 12-15 weeks, with each student working about 20 hours per week for school credit. To recruit college interns, our Internship Coordinator goes to several colleges and works directly with the Internship Directors at each school. Information about the internship program is also posted on the Station's website.
Those who have successfully completed the Station internship program have often received full-time paid positions in broadcasting after graduation. By way of example:
" Two of the Station's former interns became General Assignment Reporters at other television stations.
" One former intern was employed as an Account Executive in ABC National TV Sales and has since been promoted to Vice President, Local Sales Manager at WLS-TV.
" One former intern was hired by ABC-TV as a Sales Assistant in Network Sales; another was hired as a Sales Assistant for WLS-TV and has since been promoted to a Marketing Sales Associate. Still another former intern was hired by WLS-TV as an Account Executive.
" In 2003, two former interns were hired by WLS-TV as full-time Graphic Artists in Creative Services.
" From 2004 to 2006, seven former interns were hired as freelance employees by WLS-TV: one in Programming, one in Accounting and five in News.
" Between 2006 and 2008, two former interns were hired by WLS-TV as full-time Producers in Programming.
" Between 2009 and 2010, one former intern was hired by WLS-TV as a full-time Producer in On Line Operations, and two other former interns were hired as freelance employees by WLS-TV in the same department.
" In 2011, two former interns were hired as full time employees; one as a Producer in Programming and one as a Graphic Artist in Creative Services. Also, one former intern was hired as a freelance Production Assistant in Programming. (Revising Three Full Time to Two Full Time and One Part Time).
" In 2012, one former intern was hired as a freelance employee by WLS-TV as a Post Production Coordinator.
" In 2013, six former interns were hired as freelance Production Assistants in Programming.
See Attachment C for a description of internship opportunities and a list of the schools the interns attended.
(B) Career Days: Over the past year, some of the Station's on-air-talent and managers have given career-oriented talks at the following locations:
Stacey Baca News Anchor
Frank Reilly Elementary School June 13, 2013
Irma Ruiz Elementary School July 28, 2012
National Latino Education Institute October 25, 2012
Ruben Salazar Elementary School June 11, 2013
Benjamin Bradley News Anchor
Homewood Flossmoor High School March 11, 2013
Lane Technical College Prep High School April 26, 2013
Jennifer Graves News Director
Illinois Center for Broadcasting Chicago, IL March 13, 2013
Illinois State University Chicago, IL April 1, 2013
Matthew Knutson Programming Producer
Illinois Center for Broadcasting Lombard, IL May 10, 2013
Phil Schwarz News Anchor
Isaac Fox Elementary School Lake Zurich, IL April 16, 2013
Prairieview Elementary School Downers Grove, IL April 16, 2013
York High School Elmhurst, IL March 19, 2013
St. John Brebeuf School Niles, IL January 14, 2013
Rosalyn Varon News Anchor
Columbia College Chicago, IL December 5, 2012
Illinois Center for Broadcasting Chicago, IL June 18, 2013
(C) Station Tours: Over the past year, some of the Station's on-air-talent and managers have given career-oriented tours of the station:
Stacey Baca, a news anchor, gave a tour of the station on the following dates:
May 5, 2013 to a group of students from San Miguel Elementary School, Chicago, IL.
May 11, 2013 to a student from De Paul University, Chicago, IL.
June 15, 2013 to a group of students from Los Angeles de Crustal College Student Group, Chicago, IL.
Benjamin Bradley, a news anchor, gave a tour of the station on the following dates:
October 4, 2012 to a group of students from the University of Missouri Journalism Program.
December 27, 2012 to a student from the University of Missouri Journalism Program.
January 14, 2013 to a student from the University of Missouri Journalism Program.
May 14, 2013 to a group of students from Homewood Flossmoor High School.
Rosalyn Varon, a news anchor, gave a tour of the station on the following dates:
October 24, 2012 to a group of students from Moraine Valley Community College, Palos Hills, IL
February 18, 2013 to a group from Girl Scout Troop 40546, Chicago, IL
Linda Yu, a news anchor, gave a tour of the station on the following dates:
July 12, 2012 to a group of students from the Chicago Tribune's The Mash Program, Chicago, IL.
September 20, 2012 to a group of students from Columbia College, Chicago, IL.
November 15, 2012 to a group of students from the World Chicago Youth Leadership Program, Chicago, IL.
December 4, 2012 to a group of participants of the East/West Center of Hawaii Journalism Program, Chicago, IL.
December 28, 2012 to a local Cub Scout Troop, Batavia, IL.
April 16, 2013 to a group of students from Valparaiso University, Chicago, IL.
(D) Job Fairs: In June of 2012, the Station hosted a booth at the National Association of Black Journalists Conference. Executive Producer Tony Shute, who has partial responsibility for hiring decisions, attended and collected resumes of potential job applicants. Mr. Shute reviewed applicant reels and counseled journalists on what hiring managers hope to see when screening audition tapes.
(E) Media Trade Group Postings: During the reporting period, the Station posted all of its full-time job openings on the employment page of the website of the Illinois Broadcasters Association and with several other media organizations with substantial representation of women and minorities, such as the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and others listed in Attachment A.
Efforts to Improve Mailing List and Recruitment Methodology
In an effort to expand and improve its organizational mailing list, the Station has a notice posted continuously on its website inviting interested organizations to contact the Station to receive future job postings. In addition, the Station aired a 15-second spot on both the analog and high definition simulcast channels as well as the Station's second high definition channel requesting that organizations interested in being added to our mailing list contact us. The 15-second spot aired once a month between July of 2012 and June of 2013 on the analog and high definition simulcast channels. The 15-second spot also aired once a month between July of 2012 and June of 2013 on the second high definition channel.
WLS-TV is engaged in a continual effort to evaluate the effectiveness of its EEO outreach and recruitment program and to improve and refine it as needed by monitoring the responses that are received and ensuring that the interviewing pool for the positions it fills includes a large number of qualified applicants from diverse sources. WLS-TV continually modifies and regularly expands its recruitment program as needed to fulfill these goals.
ATTACHMENT A
WLS-TV RECRUITMENT SOURCE LIST
For the Entire Period 07/16/12 07/15/13
602 Communications - 1011 Lyndhurst Falls Lane, Knightdale, NC 27545
Contact Sandy Lizik Phone (919) 217-4438.
Email slizik@602communications.com
Chicago Urban League -220 South State Street Suite 1100 - Chicago, Illinois 60604
Contact Joe O. Gray Phone (312) 692-0766 - Fax (312) 692-0769
City of Chicago Mayor's Office of Workforce Development 1615 West Chicago Avenue Chicago, IL 60622
Contact Anne Sheahan Phone (312) 746-8545
Email anne.sheahan@cityofchicago.org
Connecticut School of Broadcasting 3250 Lacey Road Suite 130 Downers Grove, IL 60515
Contact Gina Ferraro Phone (630) 390-3568
Email csbdownersgrove@gocsb.com and jobs@gocsb.com
Direct Employers Association
Emma Bowen Foundation 524 West 57th Street New York, NY 10019
Contact: Phylis Eagle-Oldson Phone (212) 975-2545
Email Phylis.Eagle-Oldson @nbcuni.com
Harold Washington College 30 East Lake Street - Chicago, Illinois 60601
Contact Ollie Horan Phone (312) 553-5667 Fax (312) 553-3130
Illinois Broadcasters Association 200 Missouri Avenue, Carterville, IL 62918
Contact Erin Camfield Phone 618-985-5555 Email erinc@ilba.org
Illinois Center for Broadcasting - 55 West 22nd St. Suite 240, Lombard, IL 60148
Phone (630) 916-1700.
Email placement.chicago@beonair.com
Illinois Department of Human Services - 401 South Clinton Street - Chicago, Illinois 60607
Contact Job Board Phone (312) 814-4392 Fax (312) 814-2378
E-mail randy.staton@illinois.gov
*Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans 3800 W. Division Street -
Stone Park, Illinois 60165
Contact Marie Palello Phone (708) 450-9050 Fax (708) 450-9065
E-mail jcc@jccia.com
Website www.jccia.com
Latino Council on Media - 2011 West Pershing Road - Chicago, Illinois 60609
Contact Mary Gonzalez-Koenig Phone (773) 247-1778 Fax (773) 247-3924
NAACP - 800 East 78th Street - Chicago, Illinois 60619
Contact Rev. James Demus Phone (773) 487-9600 Fax (773) 429-9834
*NABET CWA Local 41 (National Association of Broadcast Employees & Technicians) 203 North Wabash Avenue Suite 2118 Chicago, Illinois 60601
Contact Charlie Braico Phone (312) 372-4111 Fax (312) 372-4115
E-mail charlieb@nabet41.org; jfabrizi@cwa-union.org;
Website NABET 41.org
NABJ (National Association of Black Journalists) - 8701A Adelphi Road - Adelphi, MD 20783
Contact Warren Paul Phone (301) 445-7100 - Fax (301) 445-7101
Website www.nabj.org
NABJ Chicago Chapter (National Association of Black Journalists) - P.O. Box 811132 - Chicago, IL 60681.
E-mail nabjccsecretary@nabjchicago.org
NAHJ Columbia Chapter (National Association of Hispanic Journalists) - 916 South Wabash, 4th Floor, Chicago, IL 60605 Added July 2012
Contact Tyler K. McDermott Email hjc@loop.colum.edu
NLEI (National Latino Education Institute) - 2011 West Pershing Road - Chicago, Illinois 60609
Contact Celia Lopez Phone (773) 247-0707 Fax (773) 247-4975
NLGJA (National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association) - 1420 K Street, NW
Suite 910 - Washington, DC 20005
Contact L. Spencer Phone (202) 588-9888 Fax (202) 588-1818
E-mail info@nlgja.org
Rainbow/PUSH Coalition - 930 East 50th Street - Chicago, Illinois 60615
Contact Candice Brown Phone (773) 373-3366 - Fax (773) 256-2772
Television Bureau of Advertising - 3 East 54th Street - New York, NY 10022
Contact Job Bank Coordinator Phone (212) 486-1111 Fax (212) 935-5631
E-mail tiphany@tvb.org
*TVJobs.Com - P.O. Box 4116 - Oceanside, CA 92052
Contact Mark Holloway Phone (760) 754-8177 Fax (760) 754-2115
Website www.tvjobs.com
United Cerebral Palsy Association 325 North Wells Street Suite 321
Chicago, Illinois 60610
Contact Angela Welch Phone (312) 464-1608 Fax (312) 464-1646
Westside Business Improvement - 5427 West Madison - Chicago, Illinois 60644
Contact Kimberly Richardson Phone (773) 921-0166 Fax (773) 921-0935
WLS-TV Website
www.abc7chicago.com
Women Employed - 111 North Wabash - Suite 1300 - Chicago, Illinois 60602
Contact Maritza Gonzalez Phone (312) 782-3902 Fax (312) 782-5249 thru 5/11/11
E-mail info@womenemployed.org
Youth Job Center of Evanston - 1114 Church Street - Evanston, Illinois 60201
Contact James Sibley Phone (847) 964-5627 Fax (847) 864-3098
* These organizations explicitly requested to be placed on the Station's Recruitment Source List
ATTACHMENT B
POSITIONS FILLED BETWEEN 07/16/12 - 07/15/13
Listed below are the eight full-time positions filled at WLS-TV between 07/16/12 and 07/15/13, the recruitment methods used for each, and the sources of interviewed applicants.
Account Executive (Two Positions)
Date position was opened: 7/9/12
Date position was filled: 8/29/12
The Station posted the position on the ABC7 website and the Disney Careers website and faxed or emailed a notice of the position to the organizations listed on Attachment A.
Twenty people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: One applicant from the Disney Careers website, two applicant from the ABC7 website, twelve industry referrals and five employee referrals. The candidates hired were two industry referrals.
Manager of Digital Assets
Date position was opened: 8/13/12
Date position was filled: 9/18/12
The Station posted the position on the ABC7 website and the Disney Careers website and faxed or emailed a notice of the position to the organizations listed on Attachment A. *Five people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: two applicants from the ABC7 website; one industry referral; one internal Disney employee and one WLS employee. The candidate hired was the internal Disney employee. (*Updated on 9.10.13)
Marketing Sales Account Executive
Date position was opened: 10/3/12
Date position was filled: 11/7/12
The Station posted the position on the ABC7 website and the Disney Careers website and faxed or emailed a notice of the position to the organizations listed on Attachment A. *The candidate hired was an internal promotion. (*Updated on 9.10.13)
Vice President of Creative Services
Date position was opened: 10/9/12
Date position was filled: 11/15/12
The Station posted the position on the ABC7 website and the Disney Careers website and faxed or emailed a notice of the position to the organizations listed on Attachment A.
Eleven people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: Five candidates from the ABC7 website, two internal-Disney employees and four WLS staff employee candidates. The candidate hired was an internal-Disney employee.
Photographer/Editor/Live Tech
Date position was opened: 10/26/12
Date position was filled: 12/21/12
The Station posted the position on the ABC7 website and the Disney Careers website and faxed or emailed a notice of the position to the organizations listed on Attachment A.
Nine people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: One industry referral, four WLS vacation relief employee applicants and four WLS daily hire employee applicants. The candidate hired was a WLS vacation relief employee.
Social Media Producer
Date position was opened: 10/11/12
Date position was filled: 2/11/13
The Station posted the position on the ABC7 website and the Disney Careers website and faxed or emailed a notice of the position to the organizations listed on Attachment A.
Seventeen people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: Five candidates from the ABC7 website, one candidate from the Disney Careers website, three employee referrals, four WLS staff employee candidates, two WLS daily hire employee applicants and one former intern. The candidate hired was a WLS daily hire employee candidate.
Web Producer
Date position was opened: 11/13/12
Date position was filled: 3/20/13
The Station posted the position on the ABC7 website and the Disney Careers website and faxed or emailed a notice of the position to the organizations listed on Attachment A.
Twelve people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: Three candidates from the ABC7 website, three candidates from the Disney Careers website, four employee referrals and two WLS daily hire employee applicants and one former intern. The candidate hired was a WLS daily hire employee candidate.
ATTACHMENT C
INTERNS
Following is a description of internship opportunities at WLS-TV and a list of the schools that the station's 2012-13 interns attended.
NEWS DEPARTMENT
Columbia College of Chicago September 2012 December 2012
Indiana University May 2013 August 2013
Loyola University January 2013 May 2013
Loyola University May 2013 August 2013
Northern Illinois University September 2012 December 2012
Northwestern University January 2013 May 2013
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign May 2013 August 2013
Interns are typically assigned to a reporter two days a week and to the news planning department one day a week.
While assigned to reporters, interns work on a variety of stories. Tasks include researching information and setting up possible interviews.
The news planning department is responsible for collecting, researching and developing future news reports for the ABC7 news department. The planning editor and planning department researcher (regular staff employees) create a daily sheet, which lists possible reporting ideas. This list is then used the following day in the morning editorial meeting to decide which news reports will be covered. The planning department is also responsible for planning long-term stories, such as elections and political conventions. News planning department interns assist the planning editor and researcher by answering phone tip lines, collecting and organizing possible future news reports as well as collecting and sorting incoming faxes and mail. They are encouraged to contribute potential story ideas and attend the morning editorial meeting when possible. The interns' duties also include conducting phone pre-interviews on potential interview subjects to determine the newsworthiness of any given story.
SPORTS DEPARTMENT
Illinois State University September 2012 December 2012
DePaul University January 2013 May 2013
Loyola University May 2013 August 2013
The sports interns are responsible for logging and watching sports events during the day. The interns are also expected to suggest the best highlights for the day's newscast.
When possible, the intern is sent out into the field during sporting events to see how the reporter reacts in the field. From time to time the intern will do interviews.
CREATIVE SERVICES / PROGRAMMING DEPARTMENT
Benedictine University January 2013 May 2013
Calumet College of St. Joseph January 2013 May 2013
Columbia College of Chicago September 2012 December 2012
Columbia College of Chicago (2) January 2013 May 2013
DePaul University (2) September 2012 December 2012
DePaul University(2) January 2013 May 2013
Dominican University May 2013 August 2013
Illinois Center for Broadcasting January 2013 May 2013
Indiana University May 2013 August 2013
Lake Forest College September 2012 December 2012
Loyola University September 2012 December 2012
Northeastern University September 2012 December 2012
Purdue University May 2013 August 2013
University of Purdue-Calumet January 2013 May 2013
University of Cincinnati May 2013 August 2013
University of Florida May 2013 August 2013
University of IllinoisChicago January 2013 May 2013
University of Iowa May 2013 August 2013
University of Missouri May 2013 August 2013
Western Illinois University May 2013 August 2013
Interns assigned to the creative services / programming department can be involved in two main areas of work:
" Production
" Publicity
PRODUCTION - Interns work closely with producers who are responsible for a wide variety of productions and programs scheduled to air on WLS-TV during their time of assignment. Interns can be directly involved in research, planning, shooting, screening and editing of videotape. This is "field" and office experience. In both cases, interns act as production associates to the producers. The work is creative and deadline demanding, and provides an understanding of the work that goes on behind the scenes of studio-based live events and field-produced programs.
PUBLICITY - Interns work closely with the WLS-TV Station Publicist, in concert with the Program Director, in helping to cultivate and maintain a professional public profile in the greater community. Interns learn how press releases are written and how they are used to communicate both publicly and "internally" among other media outlets and allied fields. Interns learn also to gather important information from various sources to help managers keep abreast of the marketplace. The work is information oriented and provides an understanding of the need for clear communication - publicly and internally.
See the Original WLS-TV ANNUAL EEO PUBLIC FILE REPORT, AUGUST 1, 2013
