Equal Employment Opportunity Report

Click/tap here to read this report on FCC.gov.

I. GENERAL POLICY

This report covers the period from July 16, 2023 through July 21, 2024.

KFSN-TV (the "Station") has a longstanding commitment to a policy of equal employment and advancement opportunities for all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, gender identity, marital status, religion, age, national origin, citizenship status, disability, sex, sexual orientation, covered veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by state or federal law.

In the Station's commitment to fair employment practices, we strive 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 the Station's policy to promote the realization of equal employment opportunity through a positive, continuing program of specific recruitment, outreach, hiring, promotion and other practices.

In compliance with the EEO record keeping requirements, the Station creates a file for each position to be filled. The file generally includes, but is not limited to, the following items: copies of advertisements, emails, and distributions to the Station's mailing lists used to notify sources of openings, and a summary of interviewees who applied for vacancies as well as their referral sources.

In addition, the Station documents and retains information about its long-term recruitment initiatives. These files generally include, but are not limited to: the nature and date of each activity, the scope of the Station's participation, and the names and titles of the Station personnel involved.

II. RESPONSIBILITY

Michael Carr, KFSN-TV's President & General Manager, is responsible for supervising EEO compliance.

III. POSITIONS FILLED AND RECRUITMENT METHODS

KFSN-TV has publicized job vacancies in the following ways (except for positions filled through internal promotion) and as indicated below:

1. Sending or emailing the KFSN job listing to the 52 organizations and schools detailed in Attachment A. All of which have requested to receive notice of job postings from the station. We periodically broadcast on-air announcements publicizing the fact that qualified organizations may request to be added to our mailing list in addition to posting a similar message on jobs page of the station's website (abc30.com).
2. Posting open positions on the station's website (abc30.com/jobs).
3. Posting open positions via DirectEmployers Association Job Syndication Alliances detailed in Attachment B.
4. Posting open positions in the Company online job listing (jobs.disneycareers.com).

Following are the 11 full-time positions filled during the period of July 16, 2023 to July 21, 2024:

Newscast Director (Filled - Cody Smith 08/06/23)

This position was filled through internal promotion.

Producer, News (Posted 07/07/23, Filled - James Pampeyan 08/14/23)

In addition to this job vacancy being publicized as described above, this position was advertised in the following publications: TVJobs.com, Fresno Bee, NAHJcareers.org, NABJcareers.org, AAJA.org, Allwomeninmedia.org, JournalismJobs.com.

Six people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: Indeed - 2; Google search - 1; company online job listing -1; employee referral - 2. The candidate hired was an employee referral.

General Assignment Reporter (Posted 04/17/23, Filled - Gabe Ferris 08/20/23)

In addition to this job vacancy being publicized as described above, this position was advertised in the following publications: TVJobs.com, Fresno Bee, NAHJcareers.org, NABJcareers.org, AAJA.org, Allwomeninmedia.org, JournalismJobs.com.

Seven people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: employee referral - 4; NABJcareers.org - 1; LinkedIn - 1; company online job posting - 1. The candidate hired was an employee referral.

Morning Weather Anchor (Posted 03/15/23, Filled - Christine Gregory 10/02/23)

In addition to this job vacancy being publicized as described above, this position was advertised in the following publications: TVJobs.com, Fresno Bee, NAHJcareers.org, NABJcareers.org, AAJA.org, Allwomeninmedia.org, JournalismJobs.com.

Four people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: Glassdoor.com - 1; industry referral - 3. The referral source of the candidate hired was Glassdoor.com.

Broadcast Operations Technician (Posted 08/06/23, Filled - Raul Cantu 10/09/23)

In addition to this job vacancy being publicized as described above, this position was advertised in the following publications: TVJobs.com, Fresno Bee, NAHJcareers.org, NABJcareers.org, AAJA.org, Allwomeninmedia.org, JournalismJobs.com.

Three people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: internal station candidate - 1; employee referral - 1; Glassdoor.com - 1. The candidate hired was an employee referral.

News Editor (Filled - Matt Romero 11/12/23)

This position was filled through internal promotion.

News Photographer (Posted 09/26/23, Filled - Tiburcio Gio Alvarado 12/18/23)

In addition to this job vacancy being publicized as described above, this position was advertised in the following publications: TVJobs.com, Fresno Bee, NAHJcareers.org, NABJcareers.org, AAJA.org, Allwomeninmedia.org, JournalismJobs.com.

Four people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: company online job listing - 1; employee referral - 2; Indeed.com - 1. The candidate hired was an employee referral.

General Assignment Reporter (Posted 10/13/23 - Ana Torrea 01/02/24)

In addition to this job vacancy being publicized as described above, this position was advertised in the following publications: TVJobs.com, Fresno Bee, NAHJcareers.org, NABJcareers.org, AAJA.org, Allwomeninmedia.org, JournalismJobs.com.

Five people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: LinkedIn - 2; company online job listing - 2; industry referral - 1. The referral source of the candidate hired was LinkedIn.

News Photographer (Posted 01/11/24, Filled - Josephine Robles 03/18/24)

In addition to this job vacancy being publicized as described above, this position was advertised in the following publications: TVJobs.com, Fresno Bee, NAHJcareers.org, NABJcareers.org, AAJA.org, Allwomeninmedia.org, JournalismJobs.com.

Three people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: Employee referral - 1; Google search - 1; Indeed.com - 1. The candidate hired was an employee referral.

Assignment Editor (Posted 04/22/24, Filled - Victoria Lavon Veloz 06/03/24)

In addition to this job vacancy being publicized as described above, this position was advertised in the following publications: TVJobs.com, Fresno Bee, NAHJcareers.org, NABJcareers.org, AAJA.org, Allwomeninmedia.org, JournalismJobs.com.

Five people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: internal station candidate - 2; employee referral - 1; company online job listing - 2. The candidate hired was an employee referral.

General Assignment Reporter (Posted 04/29/24, Filled - Brisa Colon 06/24/24)

In addition to this job vacancy being publicized as described above, this position was advertised in the following publications: TVJobs.com, Fresno Bee, NAHJcareers.org, NABJcareers.org, AAJA.org, Allwomeninmedia.org, JournalismJobs.com.

Five people were interviewed. Referral sources of the candidates interviewed were as follows: employee referral - 2; industry referral - 2; Twitter - 1. The referral source of one candidate hired was NABJ.careers.org. The candidate hired was an employee referral.

IV. LONG TERM RECRUITMENT INITIATIVES

KFSN-TV is committed to performing ongoing non-vacancy specific recruitment efforts that bring attention to the variety of job and career opportunities at the station. Outreach efforts are designed to provide easy access for candidates to apply for job opportunities, as well as provide information and training to develop a diverse pool of prospective candidates for the future.

A. Participation in Job Fairs

ABC30 Anchor Jessica Harington attended the following:

• 10/19/23 - Fresno County Superintendent of Schools Career Tech Expo
• 11/01/23 - Corcoran Middle School Career Fair
• 11/08/23 - Coalinga High School College & Career Fair
• 11/23/23 - Avenal High School Career Fair
• 2/29/24 - Madera Unified School District Career Fair
• 4/10/24 - Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary Career Fair (Hanford)
• 5/10/24 - Fort Miller Middle School Career Fair
• 5/22/24 - Huron Middle School College & Career Fair

6/11/2024: California Department of Public Health hosted a Communications Workshop, and Action News Reporter Amanda Aguilar served on the media panel helping the agency strengthen their storytelling skills and how to work with media.

7/10-7/12/24 - ABC30 News Director, Martin Ortiz attended the National Association of Hispanic Journalism Storytellers Summit and Career Fair.

B. Internship Program

KFSN-TV's internship program offers paid internships for college students interested in careers in television broadcasting. The internship program is designed to provide students with an onsite educational experience that complements their academic studies. During the reporting period, KFSN-TV hired three interns.

KFSN-TV's internship program has launched the careers of dozens of students with aspirations to work in broadcasting. Currently there are eight former KFSN-TV interns working at the Station, including one on-air talent, two News Producers, one Executive Producer, one Graphic Artist, one Digital News Producer, the News Director and the General Manager.

Recruitment outreach for interns is accomplished by working with the Disney Talent Acquisition team, and by informing the Journalism Department at local colleges and universities about openings.

C. Scholarship Programs

KFSN-TV's scholarship program, the ABC30 Building a Better Community Scholarship, provides at least five scholarships each year to under privileged and/or "at-risk" students to attend a State Center Community College District campus. KFSN-TV's Journalism Scholarship, provides three scholarships each year to underserved students majoring in Mass Communications/Journalism at California State University, Fresno. Three students were awarded scholarships during the reporting period.

• KFSN donated a scholarship to the Fresno/Madera Chapter of the Association of Mexican American Educators in May 2024.
• KFSN donated a scholarship to the San Joaquin Valley Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. which hosted the African American High School Recognition Ceremony on June 2, 2024.
• KFSN donated a scholarship to Central California Asian Pacific Women in June 2024.

D. Listing each upper-level opening in a job bank or newsletter of a media trade group with a broad-based membership that includes women and minorities

The Station posts its job listings to the websites of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, National Association of Black Journalists, Asian American Journalists Association, and Alliance for Women in Media.

E. Provision of training to management level personnel as to methods of ensuring equal employment opportunity and preventing discrimination

KFSN-TV management employees are required to complete the Walt Disney Company's "Preventing Harassment" and "Standards of Business Conduct" training courses every year. These courses cover discrimination prevention and the importance of offering equal employment opportunities to all employees.

F. Training programs designed to enable station personnel to acquire skills that could qualify them for a higher level position

KFSN-TV employees have access to a wide range of professional, leadership, and management training through the Walt Disney Company's D-Learn training program.

G. Mentoring Programs

KFSN President & General Manager Michael Carr served as a mentor in the National Association of Black Journalists Leadership Academy Mentoring Program. Michael was one of more than 20 African American General Managers who served as mentors to 10 journalists who participated in the program. Michael met with the mentees monthly via zoom.

H. Other Activities

7/21-7/28/2023: KFSN Employees kicked off a station-wide VoluntEARs Back-to-School Supplies drive to help children in need get a good start to the school year. Employees earned VoluntEAR hours by donating items such as backpacks, wide-rule spiral notebooks, pencils, colored pencils, highlighters, and scissors, crayons, and/or cash donations. The drive ran from July 18-28. Employees' generous donations went to the West Fresno Resource Center, an organization dedicated to providing opportunities for all young people to live a better life.

7/21/2023: Central California Blood Center's 36th Annual Pint-for-a-Pint Blood Drive kicked off with 811 donors during opening weekend. KFSN produced compelling stories, PSAs, and live cut-ins. The Blood Center needs 5,000 pints of blood each month to meet the needs of the community. Every donor receives a gift card for a free pint of Baskin Robbins ice cream. The campaign continues through the month of August.

8/05/2023: Action News Reporter Amanda Aguilar was the MC for Central California Asian Pacific Women's Scholarship Gala.

8/10/2023: ABC30 9th Annual "Futures Worth Fighting For" telethon was a big success. It raised over $120,000 for Valley Children's Hospital in a day filled with inspiring stories, live interviews, and cut-ins with pediatric experts and families. The fundraiser has raised over $1 million dollars for Valley Children's since its inception. The hospital remains the only designated pediatric trauma center in the region.

8/25/2023: ABC30 Marketing Director Brandon Ridge presented an ABC30 Scholarship at Fresno City College.

9/07/2023: KFSN is investing in the next generation of college students. The ABC30 marketing/community engagement team presented Building a Better Community scholarships on four college campuses this month. All campuses are part of the State Center Community College District.

9/07/23: Aurora Gomez was also a speaker who talked about importance of investing in higher education at Clovis Community College.

9/08/2023: ABC30 Executive Producer Public Affairs Aurora Gomez presented a scholarship at Madera City College.

9/08/2023: KFSN anchor Jessica Harrington emceed the annual Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Crab Feed Fundraiser, which included an all-you-can-eat crab dinner and silent and live auctions. The Crab Feed allows CASA to serve more local children and youth in foster care. KFSN supported a night of glam for a great cause.

9/09/2023: The Fresno County League of Mexican American Women celebrated its 50th Anniversary with a special gala emceed by anchor Graciela Moreno. Reporter Kassandra Gutierrez, anchor Nic Garcia, director Keith Anzoleaga, and executive producer of Public Affairs Aurora Gomez also attended the sold-out event. Funds raised support student scholarships.

9/09/2023: Action News anchor Jason Oliveira hosted the Miss Dinuba pageant. Finalists earned crowns and scholarships.

9/19/2023: Action News Anchor Warren Armstrong was a speaker during the online "60 Ideas in 60 Minutes" presented by the Fresno Business Journal.

9/22/2023: ABC30 Anchor Margot Kim emceed the Central California Women's Conference. ABC30 was a proud sponsor of the event that also included a booth during the conference.

9/29/2023: Action News Reporter Amanda Aguilar was the MC for Fresno Chaffee Zoo's Safari Night Fundraiser.

9/29/2023: KFSN was honored with the Inclusivity Leader Award by Centro La Familia during "Fiesta Around the World." The fundraiser during Hispanic & Latin American Heritage Month, recognizes individuals and groups who go above and beyond to support diverse communities. The ABC30 team was recognized for its commitment to raising awareness for the betterment of local families. Reporter Nic Garcia emceed the festivities.

9/30/2023: Action News Reporter Amanda Aguilar emceed and was panel moderator for Central California Asian Pacific Women's "I AM ENOUGH" Mentoring event.

10/11/2023: ABC30 Advisory Council quarterly held a quarterly meeting with leaders from various organizations who come together to discuss important issues in their community.

10/07/2023: KFSN was a proud supporter of Valley Children's Hospital. Members of the ABC30 team attended the 25th Annual Harvest Ball. Anchor Warren Armstrong emceed the festivities. The night included a special drone light show.

10/14/2023: Visalia Pride Festival: KFSN supported Pride Visalia, the biggest LGBTQ festival in the South Valley. Mickey rainbow stickers and Taking Action Together bags were a hit, as was a performance by the world's first LGBTQ mariachi, Mariachi Arcolis. This Action News Instagram video has nearly 40k views and 112 hours watched.

10/12/2023: KFSN VoluntEARS decorated over 100 cards for sick and injured children during their Pop-Up D100 VoluntEARS event. Some employees took supplies home so their families could take part in this inclusive activity. The cards will go to kids served by Starlight Foundation and Make-A-Wish.

10/18/2023: KFSN's Action News team had reason to celebrate! Action News anchor Graciela Moreno was honored at the Top Ten Professional Women and Leading Business Awards. The fundraiser by the Marjaree Mason Center recognizes women who go above and beyond at work and in the community. Anchor Margot Kim emceed the festivities.

10/21/2023: KFSN employees supported the Alzheimer's Association by taking part in the Fresno/Madera Walk to End Alzheimer's. In addition to forming a fundraising team, KFSN promoted the event by airing PSAs, stories and additional social media content. Action News anchor Vanessa Vasconcelos emceed the walk. The event raised nearly $100k.

10/24/2023: ABC30 held their Youth Advisory Council Meeting with members who came together to talk about issues impacting them and their community.

11/02/2023: Programming Manager Charlene Ciavaglia conducted a tour of the ABC30 Studios and Newsroom for Reyburn Intermediate School Year Book Class.

11/03/2023: Programming Manager Charlene Ciavaglia and Action News Executive Producer, Sara Sandrik conducted a tour for Sanger High West Advanced Video Production Class of the ABC30 Studios and watched the Middy Newscast.

11/17/2023: KFSN VoluntEARS brought attention to the needs of the community. Sixteen employees helped sort and bag 8,000 pounds of oranges for families in need. Their work, in addition to Disney's $15,000 grant to Central California Food Bank, plus news stories are educating viewers about food insecurity in Fresno.

11/08/2023: The students at Steinbeck Elementary were thrilled to learn about the news industry and what it takes to get a story on air. Fourth graders came prepared with questions for Action News Live at Three anchor Vanessa Vasconcelos, with many watching the show as they get home from school.

12/8-12/10/2023: Toys for Tots Marathon Weekend KFSN's Toys for Tots Marathon Weekend was a big success! The station's promotion, including live hits and PSAs, helped the Marine Corps League collect 12,139 toys in three days, 5,000 of which were donated by Disney's Ultimate Toy Drive.

1/10/2024: ABC30 Advisory Council held a quarterly meeting with leaders from various organizations who come together to discuss important issues in their community.

1/15/2024: KFSN sponsored the City of Fresno's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration program held on the MLK holiday. ABC30 Reporter Brianna Willis hosted the festivities, which included inspiring speakers and youth performances.

1/25/2024: ABC30 Station Tour: Fifth and sixth-grade leadership students from Selma Unified's Woodrow Wilson Elementary School were given a tour of the KFSN Studios and newsroom. During their visit, they watched the ABC30 Midday newscast and talked with the Action News team!

2/3/2024: The KFSN Action News team enjoyed an elegant evening at the Black History Month Celebration Banquet honoring local trailblazers. ABC30 reporter Brianna Willis emceed the festivities. Proceeds benefited the African American Cultural and Historical Museum. KFSN is a proud sponsor of the event.

2/13-2/15, 2024: KFSN provided extensive coverage of the annual World Ag Expo in Tulare, California, one of the largest Agricultural trade shows in the world, with more than 1,200 exhibitors on 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space. The show offers a wide range of ag-related exhibits featuring innovative agricultural products.

2/23/2024: Parlier High School students were given a tour of the KFSN Studios and newsroom and spoke to staff during their visit.

3/1/2024: ABC30 Newsroom employees took part in the Fresno Journalism Classes at Fresno State.

3/1/2024: Fresno City College hosted over 400 high school students from Fresno, Madera, Tulare, and Kings Counties for the college's annual Journalism Day Conference. The day-long conference featured workshops in different facets of journalism, including News, Broadcasting, Photography, Sports, News, and Public Relations. Presenters included ABC30 anchor and reporter Graciela Moreno and ABC30 Sports Director Stephen Hicks. ABC30 News Director Martin Ortiz is a member of the Fresno City College Journalism Advisory Board.

3/12/2024 - Valley Children's Hospital Kids Day: Since 1988, Valley Children's has partnered with ABC30 and The Fresno Bee to orchestrate Kids Day. As one of the largest fundraising events in the Central Valley, Kids Day hosts more than 20 communities to help raise funds to support Valley Children's greatest needs. The special edition Kids Day newspaper features compelling patient stories and photography illustrating the vital pediatric medical care that Valley Children's Hospital provides.

3/15/2024: KFSN celebrated and supported a wonderful night of philanthropy for the Marjaree Mason Center. Marjaree's Birthday Soirée marked what would have been Marjaree Mason's 82nd birthday. This is the nonprofit's largest fundraiser of the year. Proceeds went towards providing shelter, healing, and hope for those impacted by domestic violence. Anchor Vanessa Vasconcelos emceed the festivities, and several ABC30 employees were in attendance.

3/4/2024: Members of the Journalists of Color program got a behind-the-scenes view of KFSN's Live at Five newscast. Anchors Graciela Moreno, Warren Armstrong, Meteorologist Nico Payne, and Executive Producer of Public Affairs Aurora Gomez stressed the importance of multi-platform storytelling.

3/2/2024: ABC30 Anchor Jessica Harrington has been busy in the community encouraging sixth graders in Madera Unified School District to choose a career pathway leading to a career in journalism, and reading to first graders at John J. Pershing Elementary during Read Across America Week.

4/10/2024: ABC30 Advisory Council Quarterly Meeting with station management and council members from Merced College, Sierra View Medical Center, West Fresno Resource Center, Family Services of Tulare County and Hmong Innovating Politics.

4/18/2024: ABC30 produced a Call for Hope telethon supporting the Poverello House. They received more than $166,000 from Sunday's documentary, to the week-long promotion, to the day's live shots, cut-ins, and stories. ABC30 is Taking Action Together to support our community.

4/19/2024: KFSN can always "spare" a few minutes for a good cause! Anchor Elisa Navarro and Executive Producer of Public Affairs Aurora Gomez participated in Bowl for Kids' Sake, benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central California. ABC30 was a sponsor of the sold-out event that had a tropical luau theme.

4/25/2024: KFSN VoluntEARS rolled up their sleeves at SCICON, the Clemmie Gill School of Science and Conservation, in Tulare County. The 2023 Central California floods ravaged areas of reproduction for the California and Ensatina salamanders of the Sierra Nevada foothills. Friends of SCICON was among the nonprofits selected for a Disney Conservation Fund Earth Month grant. VoluntEARS kicked off the work of removing large amounts of sand that eroded from the mountains above the school. Funds from the grant will be used to dredge the area and help build an environmental shelter for students to continue learning about salamander habitats.

4/27/2024: Asian Fest is Fresno's largest Asian American Festival. The event filled Fresno City College with food, origami demonstrations, a photo booth, and more. ABC30 Action News Anchor Vanessa Vasconcelos emceed the event.

5/04/24: ABC30 Reporter Amanda Aguilar participated in Fresno NAMI's 20th annual NAMIWalks fundraiser. NAMI stands for National Alliance on Mental Illness.

5/19/2024: ABC30 Reporter Amanda Aguilar spoke during Fresno State's Asian American Pacific Islander Commencement.

6/27/2024: ABC30 Report Amanda Aguilar spoke during the Central California Asian Pacific Women's Scholarship Gala.

May 2024: Action News reporter Amanda Aguilar spoke during the Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health May's Mental Health Awareness Month and AAPI Heritage Month event.

5/13/2024: ABC30 reporter Kassandra Gutierrez and photojournalist Richard Harmelink received the Fresno County Farm Bureau Award for Agricultural Journalism Excellence for their July 2023 story "Heat Wave Impacts on Ag and How Employers Are Protecting Employees". The award criteria included thorough and objective coverage of issues, educational element for the agriculture industry or the consumer, and portraying the personal stories of those who make up the food and agriculture industry, making issues relevant to consumers and Valley residents.

5/16/2024: ABC30 spread the Magic of Storytelling with first graders at Columbia Elementary. Anchor Jessica Harrington read to students as Disney, ABC30, and its partners donated over 2,200 books to children in need at Fresno Unified.

5/23/2024: ABC30 is paying tribute to the Class of 2024. Top students from more than 70 Central California high schools participated in the annual Honored Scholars production shoot. Spots aired over the summer as part of the station's Children First partnership.

5/29/2024: May is National Foster Care Month. There are over 391,000 children and youth in foster care. KFSN VoluntEARS recognized Foster Care Awareness Month by assembling 40 skateboards and decorating 40 duffel bags for foster children, to be delivered to Koinonia Family Services.

6/01/2024: ABC30 employees, family, and friends showed their pride at the Fresno Rainbow Pride Parade and Festival. More than 16,000 people attended the parade, and 14,498 attended the festival. This is the third year ABC30 has sponsored the event.

6/11/2024: California Department of Public Health is hosting a Communications Workshop, and Action News reporter Amanda Aguilar served on the media panel to help the agency strengthen their storytelling skills and how to work with media.

6/27/2024: Action News report Amanda Aguilar emcee'd for the Central California Asian Pacific Women Scholarship gala

7/10/2024 - ABC30 Advisory Council quarterly meeting with leaders from various valley organizations who come together to discuss important issues to their community.

7/10-7/12/24 - ABC30 News Director, Martin Ortiz attended the National Association of Hispanic Journalism Storytellers Summit and Career Fair.

Attachment A

Attachment B