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, 2018 through July 15, 2019.
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, 2018 through July 15, 2019), WLS-TV filled nineteen 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 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 and one former intern was hired as a Production Assistant for a radio news program. Three former interns were hired at other television stations; one as a Desk Assistant/Field Producer, one as a reporter and one as a Senior Producer.
In 2019, one former intern was hired as a Production Assistant at another television station, two former interns were hired by WLS-TV as freelance Production Assistants in Programming. One former intern, who had been hired by WLS-TV as a freelance Production Assistant in Programming was promoted to a staff Producer 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 broadcast career-oriented talks at the following locations, sponsored by educational or community groups:
Tanja Babich - News Anchor/Reporter
Medill School of Journalism - Chicago, IL - October 22, 2018
Medill School of Journalism - Evanston, IL - April 3, 2019
Chuck Goudie - Investigative Reporter
DePaul University - Chicago, IL - June 6, 2019
Jason Knowles - Consumer Investigative Reporter
IC Catholic Prep - Elmhurst, IL - September 19, 2018
St. Josaphat - Chicago, IL - January 29, 2019
Ann Pistone - Investigative Producer
DePaul University - Chicago, IL - February 7, 2019
DePaul University - Chicago, IL - March 1, 2019
Phil Schwartz - News Anchor
Hawthorne Elementary School - Elmhurst, IL - December 11, 2018
Winkelman Elementary School - Glenview, IL - December 11, 2018
Lincoln Elementary School - Chicago, IL - March 12, 2019
Roz Varon - News Anchor
Maine East High School - Park Ridge, IL - October 25, 2018
Columbus East Elementary School - Cicero, IL - May 2, 2019
(C) Station Tours: Over the past year, tours of the Station were given to individuals or groups from educational institutions by some of our on-air talent and producers.
Stacey Baca - News Anchor/Reporter
gave a tour of the Station to a University of Illinois Chicago student on February 24, 2019.
Blanca Rios - Digital Producer
gave a tour of the Station to students from the Leman Middle School from West Chicago, IL on April 26, 2019.
D) Job Fairs: From July 18, 2018 thru July 20, 2018 the Station co-hosted a booth with ESPN at the National Association of Hispanic Journalists in Miami, Florida. Assistant News Director Sarah Burke, who has responsibility for hiring decisions, attended and
collected resumes of potential job applicants. Ms. Burke reviewed applicant reels and counseled journalists on what hiring managers hope to see when screening audition tapes.
From August 1, 2018 thru August 3, 2018 the Station co-hosted a booth with ABC Network and ESPN at the National Association of Black Journalists in Detroit, Michigan. VP & News Director Jennifer Graves, who has responsibility for hiring decisions, attended and collected resumes of potential job applicants. Ms. Graves reviewed applicant reels and counseled journalists on what hiring managers hope to see when screening audition tapes.
From August 8, 2018 thru August 11, 2018 the Station attended the Asian American Journalists Association Convention in Houston, Texas. 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.
On January 29, 2019 Assistant News Director Sarah Burke and Manager of Digital Content Jennifer Hoppenstedt-Gauger, attended a job fair at Loyola University in Chicago, IL. They met with students pursuing careers in journalism, marketing and film.
On March 13, 2019 News Reporter Alexis McAdams, attended a job fair at Schaumburg High School in Schaumburg, Illinois. She spoke with high school students about pursuing a career in broadcast journalism.
On May 4, 2019 News Managers and Community Journalists joined more than 30 employers at a job fair put on by the Chicago chapters of the NABJ and NAHJ. The WLS team talked to dozens of job candidates and found some promising prospects.
(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 2018 and June of 2019 on the analog and high definition simulcast channels. The 15-second spot also aired once a month between July of 2018 and December of 2018 on the second high definition channel. Since August of 2018 this message is also posted on the Station's website.
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 07/16/18 - 07/15/19
602 Communications - 1011 Lyndhurst Falls Lane, Knightdale, NC 27545
Contact Sandy Lizik - Phone (919) 217-4438.
Email slizik@602communications.com
*Bright Horizons - 500 West Monroe Street - Chicago, Illinois 60661
Contact Gina Barnes - Phone (312) 876-8687
Email gina.barnes@brighthorizons.com
Effective 02/02/19
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
*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
*Marquette University - 1250 W. Wisconsin Avenue - Milwaukee, WI 53233
Phone (414) 288-7250
Contact Zoe Comerford
Email isabel.comerford@marquette.edu
*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 christopherw@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 - 65 E. Wacker Place- Suite 1500 - Chicago, Illinois 60601
Contact Maritza Gonzalez - Phone (312) 782-3902 - Fax (312) 782-5249
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 07/16/18 - 07/15/19
Listed below are the nineteen full-time positions filled at WLS-TV between 07/16/18 and 07/15/19, the recruitment methods used for each, and the sources of interviewed applicants.
10PM Newscast Producer
Date position was opened: 5/16/18
Date position was filled: 8/7/18
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.
Six people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: Two applicants from the ABC7 website, one employee referral and three WLS staff employee applicants. The referral source for the candidate hired was the ABC7 website.
News Operations Manager
Date position was opened: 5/15/18
Date position was filled: 9/7/18
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: One industry referral and seven in house staff employee applicants. The candidate hired was an in house staff employee applicant.
Staff Desk Assistant
Date position was opened: 7/13/18
Date position was filled: 10/22/18
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.
Three people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: One applicant from the ABC7 website, one applicant from the NABJ job fair and one WLS daily hire employee applicant. The candidate hired was the WLS daily hire employee applicant.
Morning Daypart Executive Producer
Date position was opened: 10/08/18
Date position was filled: 11/05/18
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.
Three people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: One applicant from the ABC7 website and two in house staff employee applicants. The referral source for the candidate hired was the ABC7 website.
Full Time News Photographer/Editor (2 positions)
Date position was opened: 11/13/18
Date positions were filled: 12/10/18 & 3/15/19
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: One employee referral, four in house vacation relief employees and five WLS daily hire employee applicants. One of the candidates hired was a WLS daily hire employee applicant and the other was in house vacation relief employee.
Community Journalist
Date position was opened: 10/15/18
Date position was filled: 1/7/19
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.
Six people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: Three applicants from the ABC7 website, one applicant from the Disney Careers website, and two WLS daily hire employee applicants. The referral source for the candidate hired was the ABC7 website.
Staff Stagehand
Date position was opened: 8/9/18
Date position was filled: 1/28/19
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: Two industry referrals and two WLS daily hire employee applicants. The candidate hired was a WLS daily hire employee applicant.
Broadcast IT Specialist
Date position was opened: 10/16/18
Date position was filled: 2/7/19
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 LinkedIn, one applicant from Indeed.com, one employee referral and one WLS daily hire employee applicant. The candidate hired was the WLS daily hire employee applicant.
Multi-Platform Programming Producer
Date position was opened: 7/5/18
Date position was filled: 2/26/19
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: One applicant from the ABC7 website, three applicants from the Disney Careers website, two employee referrals, one current intern and three WLS daily hire employee applicants. The candidate hired was a WLS daily hire employee applicant.
Digital Video Producer (4 positions)
Date position was opened: 12/11/18
Date positions were filled: 3/11/19, 3/18/19, 4/30/19 & 6/11/19
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.
Thirteen people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: Eight applicants from the ABC7 website, one employee referral, two WLS daily hire employee applicants, one former WLS daily hire applicant and one from the NAHJ job fair. The referral source for two of the candidates hired was the ABC7 website, another candidate hired was a WLS daily hire employee applicant and the other candidate hired was from the NAHJ job fair.
Newscast Producer
Date position was opened: 01/28/19
Date position was filled: 03/13/19
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.
Six people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as
follows: Five in house staff employee applicants and one WLS daily hire employee applicant. The candidate hired was an in house staff employee applicant.
Vacation Relief News Photographer/Editor (2 positions)
Date position was opened: 12/11/18
Date positions were filled: 3/15/19
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.
Five people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as
follows: One employee referral and four WLS daily hire employee applicants. Both of the candidates hired were WLS daily hire employee applicants.
Producer, Windy City Live
Date position was opened: 2/20/19
Date position was filled: 4/19/19
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: Seven applicants from the ABC7 website, two employee referrals, one industry referral, one in house staff employee applicant and one WLS daily hire employee applicant. The candidate hired was the WLS daily hire employee applicant.
Meteorologist
Date position was opened: 11/30/17
Date position was filled: 6/28/19
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, one employee referral, one industry referral, and five talent agents. The referral source for the candidate hired was a talent agent.
ATTACHMENT C
INTERNS
Following is a description of internship opportunities at WLS-TV and a list of the schools that the station's 2018-19 interns attended.
NEWS DEPARTMENT
Chicago State University January 2019 - May 2019
Columbia College - Chicago September 2018 - December 2018
DePaul University September 2018 - November 2018
DePaul University September 2018 - May 2019
Northwestern University January 2019 - August 2019
Northwestern University June 2019 - September 2019
University of Missouri May 2019 - August 2019
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
Loyola University Chicago June 2019 - August 2019
Olivet Nazarene University September 2018 - April 2019
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
Bradley University June 2019 - August 2019
Columbia College - Chicago September 2018 - December 2018
Columbia College - Chicago January 2019 - May 2019
Columbia College - Chicago May 2019 - August 2019
DePaul University (3) September 2018 - December 2018
Illinois State University May 2019 - August 2019
Judson University September 2018 - December 2018
Loyola University Chicago (2) January 2019 - May 2019
Loyola University Chicago May 2019 - August 2019
Michigan State University January 2019 - August 2019
Northwestern University January 2019 - March 2019
Northwestern University January 2019 - May 2019
University of St. Francis January 2019 - August 2019
University of Wisconsin - Madison May 2019 - August 2019
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.