Diversity
As a leading media and entertainment company, Time Warner helps tell the world's stories to a global audience. Therefore, cultivating diversity — of our content, products, and people — is a business imperative.
In recent years, growth in the media industry has come increasingly from international and U.S.-based multicultural markets. Audiences are becoming more diverse, both in ethnicity and nationality, and are expecting greater diversity in content. We are therefore striving to become more diverse as a company, both in our content and in our workforce. We believe that achieving more diversity in these areas will enable us to identify the best growth opportunities, deliver the best customer value, and create the greatest returns for our stockholders. Accordingly, we are working to continue to foster and promote an internal culture that values diversity of talent and ideas, as well as to identify and aggressively pursue growth opportunities in multicultural and international markets.
OUR BUSINESS
Products
Diversity in U.S.-based Markets
Time Warner is a leader in serving diverse audiences in the U.S and has an established tradition of building brands to reach these audiences. For example, HBO Latino has offered Spanish-language programming since November 2000 and for 35 years, Time Inc.'s Essence magazine has been the most respected and established magazine for African-American women.
We are also reaching diverse audiences with "mainstream" brands and businesses. For example, People magazine reaches one out of every five Hispanics; nearly one third of HBO's subscribers are people of color; over 20% of "Adult Swim's" audience is African-American; and "House of Payne" on TBS is cable's #1 ad-supported sitcom telecast of all time.
As the demographics in the U.S. continue to change, we know that our products - the content of our films, television shows, documentaries and magazine articles - will need to change as well. As a company, we are investing resources in researching and understanding the changing domestic marketplace so that we can continue to connect with it. In addition to company-wide efforts and research, all of our divisions are exploring the best ways to connect to their markets in ways that make sense for them. For example, Time Inc. conducts an in-depth Diversity Content Review of its properties every three years to understand how inclusive we are in print and online titles. The review looks at a range of topics including the ways its magazines cover issues from a wide range of communities and the diversity of the celebrities and newsmakers that appear in our content. Time Inc. is also examining ways to encourage journalists to broaden the spectrum of voices in their stories by consciously reaching out to new sources.
Diversity in International Markets
International expansion is another opportunity for growth for our company that is tied to diversity. In pursuing international growth, we seek to form strong local relationships that can help us grow our business. In launching new ventures or partnering with existing businesses in other cultures, we start by respecting the talent, experience, and track record of our local partners, suppliers and creative collaborators. We also look at a range of CSR-related business issues including the regulatory environment, cultural considerations, and labor issues.
OUR PEOPLE
Attracting and retaining a diverse workforce is vital to our success. Time Warner has a broad and inclusive approach to diversity. We believe that people from different cultures, ethnicities, sexual orientations, disability communities, geographic regions, viewpoints, and genders bring important values and qualities to the creation of Time Warner's products. We actively seek to recruit the most talented and diverse workforce.
Finally, we work to make sure that we are not only attracting and hiring the best and most diverse talent, also are retaining that talent as appropriate by creating an inclusive work environment. As of the end of 2007, all Time Warner divisions include identity, expression, or other legally protected classification in all EEO non-discrimination or anti-harassment policies.
Diversity Data
Each divisional CEO has an annual plan for diversity that supports multicultural market expansion, workforce diversity development, and workplace inclusion.
Employee Resource Groups
Across all our businesses, our senior executives champion inclusion through communication to employees and customers, and by fostering an environment that encourages healthy debate. We believe that achieving greater diversity will enable us to identify the best growth opportunities, deliver the best customer value, and create the greatest returns for our shareholders. Most of our divisions provide financial support to employee-based affinity groups — professional development networks for diverse populations — as one way to cultivate an inclusive work environment. Examples of our affinity groups include OUT@TW (Corporate's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transexual network), Alianza (HBO's Hispanic Employee Networking Resource), BE@T (Black Employees at Time Inc.) and TWWN (Time Warner Women's Network). At many divisions, senior executives act as sponsors for these affinity groups where they help provide guidance and act as a senior-level springboard for ideas.