Adrienne Byrd

Byrd brings 20 years of experience in corporate and media law to her role at Sprout. She ensures that the network is in compliance with FCC and FTC regulations and provides legal guidance to all departments across the network. Away from work, Byrd sits on the board of directors for the Settlement Music School, the largest community school of the arts in the United States. Diversity, she says, “is starting to include any group of people that differs significantly from another group of people (whether it is appearance, sexual orientation, veteran status of level in your organization).”

How do you define diversity?

Diversity traditionally referred to categories like race and gender (i.e. legally protected categories), but increasingly a wider range of factors from age and sexual preference to disabilities are being considered. It is starting to include any group of people that differs significantly from another group of people (whether it is appearance, sexual orientation, veteran status or level in your organization). In addition, the concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect of those differences and the realization that such differences add value to an organization.

How can cable better support diversity? 

They can actively seek to hire more diverse employees at a decision making level.

What’s been the biggest story in cable this year?

Net Neutrality and the cable interrupters/cord cutters.