Diversity

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Educating Employees on Policies Impacting Diversity

ETV sets affirmative action goals through the S.C. State Human Affairs Commission (SCHAC). These are annual goals of diversity in the workforce which are measured from October 1 through September 30 of each year. The annual results of goal attainment are reported at the beginning of the following calendar year.   Archived annual reports are also available on the SCHAC website. 

Our goals and attainment levels are included in the:

ETV DIVERSITY POLICY

ETV is committed to fostering and preserving a culture of diversity and inclusion. The collective sum of our individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, unique capabilities and talent represents a significant part of our culture, and our achievements.

All employees of ETV have a responsibility to treat others with dignity and respect at all times. All employees are expected to exhibit conduct that reflects inclusion during work and at all other ETV-sponsored and participative events.

ETV specifies goals of affirmative action/diversity attainment of staff levels in its annual report to the State of South Carolina Human Affairs Commission. Also, ETV reports on FCC outreach efforts annually.

Diversity in Internship Programs

ETV annually hosts students from all across the state and even the nation in its Endowment Internship program and through its internships for college credit. These students reflect a broad range of cultures and ethnicities, and represent public and private institutions.   

Diversity in Educational Programs

ETV continues to be committed to documenting South Carolina’s rich history and culture, and diversity. In 2016-2017, the network created and produced dozens of stories, interviews, and special coverage on race relations and reconciliation, including community conversations and live events for both local and national audiences.  ETV and the ETV Endowment hosted community conversations in Charleston, Columbia, and Rock Hill around the PBS series Black America Since MLK:  And Still I Rise hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.  A screening of Ancient African Civilizations was hosted in Charleston.  Between the Waters, ETV’s transmedia website, showcases the culture and history of Hobcaw Barony, a 16,000 acre historic site on the coast of South Carolina that contains rich Native American, African American, and American history.  The project was presented at the Slave Dwelling Conference and the Avery Center in September 2016.  The Education of Harvey Gantt, a documentary that chronicles the journey of a South Carolinian to become Clemson University’s first African-American student, was screened at the March on Washington Film Festival in July 2016, at the History Film Forum at the National Museum of American History in Washington DC in March 2017, and at the “Transforming Public History” Conference at the College of Charleston in June 2017.

ETV won a regional Emmy in June 2017 for Remembering Charleston, a special one-hour Palmetto Scene from the sanctuary of Mother Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston.  Rock Hill Friendship Nine is an episode of ETV’s weekly program Palmetto Scene with native David Williams, one of the Rock Hill students from Friendship College who helped establish “jail no bail” as a method of civil rights protest.  The action was considered a seminal moment in South Carolina and national African American civil rights history.  In the spring of 2017 ETV partnered with The South Carolina State Library to interview Jacqueline Woodson, the award- winning children’s author of Brown Girl Dreaming, and Rita Williams-Garcia, author of One Crazy Summer.  She is a young adult novel writer and winner of the 2011 Newbery Honor Award, Coretta Scott King Award, and Scott O’Dell Award for African American historical fiction.  The interviews were featured on Palmetto Scene and ETV’s Knowitall website.  ETV’s educational portal Knowitall.org Media resource includes Collections which provides resources for holidays and month-long celebrations; features include Hispanic Heritage month, Native American Heritage, African American History, Veterans Day, and Constitution Day.  Each year ETV supports the South Carolina African American History Calendar (presented by AT&T). 

During the year the South Carolina Public Radio series Walter Edgar’s Journal features a wide range of authors, historians, and artists who reflect the diverse makeup of our state’s citizens. Topics this year included We are Charleston, which addressed the role of the city in American’s social justice story from slavery to the civil rights movement; Jazz and Blues from South Carolina Roots; the Freedom School: Student Activists in the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement; and Speaking Down Barriers.

Diversity and Leadership

Our Commission Advisory Council is a group of experts and interested citizens drawn from around the state who are willing to offer their expertise and wisdom to the ETV Commission. The state law establishing the Commission provides the legal basis for the Advisory Council. The Council meets twice a year with the ETV Commission.

The Council is currently made up of a diverse group of South Carolinians. We seek to broaden diversity, including geographic representation across the state, by expanding membership through a process of receiving recommendations and making invitations. Our goal is that such input will enhance our continuing efforts to make ETV the best it can be for the citizens of South Carolina.

ETV's Commission is comprised of nine members, eight of whom are appointed by the Governor (chair and seven representing the Congressional Districts of South Carolina) and one an ex-officio Member --the Superintendent of Education. Currently, the board is diverse in makeup as women comprise 63% of its appointed membership, and people of color comprise 13% of its appointed membership. 

Diversity Impact

Over the past few years, ETV has broadened and deepened its local coverage and services with an eye towards reflecting the rich diversity of South Carolina as well as reaching underserved audiences with high impact programming that encourages education. We have developed digital services for underserved students and families, especially in the area of pre-K learning.  ETV’s children’s mascot has focused outreach visits to at-risk communities, offering free books and educational materials.   For our staff members, training sessions have been offered to provide improved awareness and understanding of diversity issues. Every year for the past five years, one of our staff members has participated in the six-month long Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative. Our Community Advisory Council has engaged with our senior staff in a wide range of discussions and ideas on diversity that are beneficial to our ongoing coverage. 

Most notably, ETV was recognized by the SC Human Affairs Commission at the EEO luncheon forum as one of the top 10 state agencies in achieving established EEO goals.  Also, this year’s diversity training was open to all SCETV employees and there were some 30 employees in attendance.  The diversity training, conducted by the Parker Institute for Excellence, LLP, was called “How to be Me and Still Like You.” The training consisted of lecture delivery and interactive group activities to address the benefits of diversity.  Specifically, topics discussed with the attendees included the dimensions of diversity, an analysis of communication styles, and stereotypes – their origins and how to defuse them.

In addition, we developed a program of “Next Generation” leaders for the organization.  The purpose of the program is to identify and develop leadership skill sets within the organization.  Participants were nominated by senior management and convened once a month for leadership training facilitated by the Division of State Human Resources.  The group also met with members of senior management to discuss leadership philosophies and styles as well as their experience with the organization.