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.
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This report includes information from July 16, 2017 through July 15, 2018.
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, which was drafted by Mary Ellen Kalanarhos, Manager-Human Resources of WLS-TV.
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 and on the website of The Walt Disney Company, its ultimate parent company. Notices of full-time job openings were also distributed to the Illinois Broadcasters Association and the Station's Recruitment Source List, which is made up of other professional groups, including minority and women's organizations, that requested such notification or that the Station believed could be useful referral sources. See Attachment A, for the Station's Recruitment Source List, (including names, addresses, contact names and numbers of the organizations to which the Station directly sends notices of job openings).
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, 2017 through July 15, 2018), WLS-TV filled twelve full-time job vacancies. Job-specific recruitment sources are itemized in Attachment B below.
Supplemental Non-Vacancy Specific Outreach and 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. An internship generally lasts 12-15 weeks, with each student working about 20 hours per week for school credit. The internship program is administered by Disney Campus Recruitment. 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:
* In 2017, three former interns were hired by WLS-TV - two as freelance Production Assistants in Programming and one as a part time Desk Assistant in News. One former intern was hired as a Weekend News Anchor and another former intern was hired as a News Producer at other television stations.
* In 2018, one former intern was hired by WLS-TV as a freelance Production Assistant in Programming, one former intern was hired as a Production Assistant for a radio news program and another former intern was hired as a Desk Assistant/Field Producer at another television station.
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 broadcast career-oriented talks at the following locations, sponsored by educational or community groups:
Tanja Babich - News Anchor/Reporter
Medill School of Journalism - Evanston, IL - September 20, 2017 and April 4, 2018
Stacey Baca - News Anchor/Reporter
Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications- Chicago, IL - August 10, 2017
Judy Hsu - News Anchor/Reporter
University of Illinois - Champaign-Urbana, IL - January 11, 2018
Warren Park Elementary School - by Skype - April 26, 2018
Barbara Markoff - Investigative Producer
University of Illinois - Champaign - Urbana, IL - September 22, 2017
(C) Station Tours: Over the past year, tours of the Station were given to groups from educational institutions by some of our on-air talent.
Tanja Babich - News Anchor/Reporter
gave a tour of the Station to broadcasting students from Chicago Jesuit Academy on
March 21, 2018
Stacey Baca - News Anchor/Reporter
gave a tour of the Station to NIU students on November 11, 2017
(D) Job Fairs: From July 26, 2017 thru July 29, 2017 the Station attended the Asian American Journalists Association Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Executive Producer Wilson Toy, who has partial responsibility for hiring decisions, attended and collected resumes of potential job applicants at the job fair. Mr. Toy reviewed applicant
reels and counseled journalists on what hiring managers hope to see when screening audition tapes.
From August 9, 2017 thru August 13, 2017 the Station hosted a booth at the National Association of Black Journalists in New Orleans, Louisiana. VP & News Director Jennifer Graves, who has responsibility for hiring decisions and Executive Producer Tony Shute, who has partial responsibility for hiring decisions, attended and collected resumes of potential job applicants. Both 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 sent its upper-level full-time job openings to several 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 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 2017 and June of 2018 on the analog and high definition simulcast channels. The 15-second spot also aired once a month between July of 2017 and June of 2018 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 07/16/17 - 07/15/18
602 Communications - 1011 Lyndhurst Falls Lane, Knightdale, NC 27545
Contact Sandy Lizik - Phone (919) 217-4438.
Email slizik@602communications.com
Chicago Urban League - 4510 S. Michigan Avenue - Chicago, Illinois 60653
Contact Joe O. Gray - Phone (773) 285-5800 - Fax (773) 285-7772
City of Chicago Mayor's Office of Workforce Development - 1615 West Chicago Avenue - Chicago, IL 60622
Contact Anne Sheahan - Phone (312) 743-0300 - Fax (312) 743-0400
Email anne.sheahan@cityofchicago.org
Connecticut School of Broadcasting - 3901 Coconut Palm Drive - Suite 105
Tampa, FL 33619
Contact Shayna King - Phone (813) 443-5307
Email jobs@gocsb.com
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 Center for Broadcasting - 455 Eisenhower Lane South, Lombard, IL 60148
Phone (630) 524-4628.
Email dclark@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
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*Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans - 3800 W. Division Street -
Stone Park, Illinois 60165
Contact JoAnn Serpico - 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) 523-4380 - Fax (773) 247-3924
NAACP - 800 East 78th Street - Chicago, Illinois 60619
Contact Rev. James Demus - Phone (773) 487-9600 - Fax (773) 429-9834
E-mail westsidenaacp@gmail.com
*NABET - CWA Local 41 - (National Association of Broadcast Employees & Technicians) 211 West Wacker Drive - Suite 1030 - Chicago, Illinois 60606
Contact Don Villar - Phone (312) 372-4111 - Fax (312) 372-4115
E-mail donv@nabet41.org; jfabrizi@cwa-union.org;
Website NABET 41.org
NABJ Chicago Chapter (National Association of Black Journalists) - P.O. Box 811132 - Chicago, IL 60681.
E-mail secretary@nabjchicago.org
NAHJ Columbia Chapter (National Association of Hispanic Journalists) - 916 South Wabash, 4th Floor, Chicago, IL 60605
Contact Tyler K. McDermott
Email hjc@loop.colum.edu
National Latino Education Institute - 2011 W. Pershing Road - Chicago, IL 60609
Phone (773) 247-0707; Fax (773) 247-4975
Email eestrada@nlei.org
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
United Cerebral Palsy Association - 325 North Wells Street - Suite 321
Chicago, Illinois 60610
Contact Angela Welch - Phone (312) 464-1608- Fax (708) 863-3863
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 07/16/17 - 07/15/18
Listed below are the twelve full-time positions filled at WLS-TV between 07/16/17 and 07/15/18, the recruitment methods used for each, and the sources of interviewed applicants.
Multimedia Account Executive
Date position was opened: 5/4/17
Date position was filled: 8/21/17
The Station posted the position on the ABC7 website, the Disney Careers website, the tvjobs.com 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: Two applicants from the Disney Careers website and nine industry referrals.
The referral source for the candidate hired was the Disney Careers website.
Producer, Windy City Live
Date position was opened: 5/25/17
Date position was filled: 8/22/17
The Station posted the position on the ABC7 website, the Disney Careers website, the tvjobs.com 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: Five applicants from the ABC7 website, three WLS daily hire employee applicants, one in house staff employee applicant, two employee referrals and one industry referral. The referral source for the candidate hired was the ABC7 website.
Weekend Morning Anchor/General Assignment Reporter
Date position was opened: 11/22/16
Date position was filled: 9/28/17
The Station posted the position on the ABC7 website, the Disney Careers website, the tvjobs.com website and faxed or emailed a notice of the position to the organizations listed on Attachment A.
Eighteen people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: Two applicants from the ABC7 website, three applicants from the Disney Careers website, one in house staff employee applicant, eleven talent agency referrals and one industry referral. The candidate hired was a talent agency referral.
Vice President & General Sales Manager
Date position was opened: 05/15/17
Date position was filled: 10/17/17
The Station posted the position on the ABC7 website, the Disney Careers website, the tvjobs.com website and faxed or emailed a notice of the position to the organizations listed on Attachment A.
Fourteen people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: Three applicants from the Disney Careers website, four industry referrals, two employee referrals, three in house staff employees and two internal ESPN employees. The candidate hired was an employee referral.
Digital Sales Manager
Date position was opened: 11/8/17
Date position was filled: 2/9/18
The Station posted the position on the ABC7 website, the Disney Careers website, the tvjobs.com website and faxed or emailed a notice of the position to the organizations listed on Attachment A.
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Eleven people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: Six applicants from the Disney Careers website, four employee referrals and one in house staff employee applicant. The candidate hired was an employee referral.
Vice President - Creative Services and Programming
Date position was opened: 8/16/17
Date position was filled: 3/5/18
The Station posted the position on the ABC7 website, the Disney Careers website, the tvjobs.com website and faxed or emailed a notice of the position to the organizations listed on Attachment A.
Eight people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: Three internal ABC employees, three in house staff employees, one industry
referral and one WLS daily hire employee applicant. The candidate hired was an internal ABC employee.
Editor/Producer, Windy City Live
Date position was opened: 1/30/18
Date position was filled: 4/6/18
The Station posted the position on the ABC7 website, the Disney Careers website, the tvjobs.com website and faxed or emailed a notice of the position to the organizations listed on Attachment A.
Ten people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as
follows: Six applicants from the ABC7 website and four WLS daily hire employee applicants. The referral source for the candidate hired was the ABC7 website.
Evening Newscast Producer
Date position was opened: 1/23/18
Date position was filled: 4/27/18
The Station posted the position on the ABC7 website, the Disney Careers website, the tvjobs.com website and faxed or emailed a notice of the position to the organizations listed on Attachment A.
Four people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as
follows: One applicant from the ABC7 website and three in house staff employees. The candidate hired was an in house staff employee.
Newswriter/Fill-In Producer (3 positions)
Date position was opened: 3/15/18
Date positions were filled: 4/9/18, 5/8/18, 6/2/18
The Station posted the position on the ABC7 website, the Disney Careers website, the tvjobs.com website and faxed or emailed a notice of the position to the organizations listed on Attachment A.
Seven people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as
follows: Five applicants from the ABC7 website, one in house staff employee and one applicant from the NAHJ organization. The referral sources for the candidates hired were two from the ABC7 website and one in house staff employee.
11/18/2017 Maintenance Engineer
04/02/2016 VR Maintenance Engineer
On 11/18/17 we changed a NABET Maintenance Engineer from Vacation Relief Status to Staff .This change in title involved the same full time employee performing the same duties, and was made in effort to retain a high performing employee who had received an outside job offer from a competitor. We did not recruit for the Maintenance Engineer staff position.
ATTACHMENT C
INTERNS
Following is a description of internship opportunities at WLS-TV and a list of the schools that the station's 2017-18 interns attended.
NEWS DEPARTMENT
Columbia College - Chicago June 2018 - August 2018
DePaul University September 2017 - December 2017
DePaul University January 2018 - May 2018
Lewis University January 2018 - May 2018
Northwestern University September 2017 - December 2017
University of Illinois - Champaign - Urbana June 2018 - August 2018
University of Missouri June 2018 - August 2018
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, among other duties: 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
University of Denver June 2018 - August 2018
University of Michigan September 2017 - May 2018
The sports interns are responsible for, among other duties: 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
Arizona State University January 2018 - May 2018
Columbia College Chicago (2) September 2017 - December 2017
Columbia College - Chicago January 2018 - August 2018
Columbia College - Chicago June 2018 - August 2018
DePaul University September 2017 - December 2017
DePaul University September 2017 - August 2018
DePaul University November 2017 - May 2018
DePaul University May 2018 - September 2018
DePaul University (2) June 2018 - August 2018
Loyola University Chicago (2) September 2017 - December 2017
Northwestern University January 2018 - May 2018
University of Illinois September 2017 - December 2017
University of Illinois January 2018 - May 2018
University of Illinois - Champaign - Urbana May 2018 - August 2018
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.