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WarnerMedia

OVERALL

Owned
USA
Rating
Criticisms

Mass media

Formerly Time Warner, the company has been a part of AT&T since 2018. Brands include HBO, Cinemax, CNN, DC Comics, Cartoon Network and Warner Bros.

Company Ownership

Warner Media LLC   USA     website         twitter
  AT&T Inc   
   owns 100% of Warner Media LLC  
USA     website      facebook   twitter

Conglomerate

AT&T was co-founded by telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell in 1885. Acquired mass media conglomerate WarnerMedia in 2018 for US$85.4 billion, making AT&T the world's largest media and entertainment company, as well as the world's largest telecommunications company.

> About the Ratings

Company Assessment

PRAISE CRITICISM INFORMATION
Warner Media LLC
Social 100% on Corporate Equality Index
This company is listed as having best practice on a report card on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in corporate America.
Source: Human Rights Campaign (2020)
Business Ethics 15.0% in Newsweek Green Ranking 2017
This company received a score of 15/100 in the Newsweek Green Ranking 2017, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on eight indicators covering energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, fines and penalties, linking executive pay to sustainability targets, board-level committee oversight of environmental issues and third-party audits. Ranking methodology by Corporate Knights and HIP Investor.
Source: Newsweek (2017)
Business Ethics Excessive CEO pay
As You Sow's 2018 report, 'The 100 Most Overpaid CEOs', reveals the 100 most overpaid CEOs from USA's 500 largest public companies (as determined by the S&P 500 list). This company's CEO, Jeffrey L. Bewkes came in at number 24 on the list, having been paid US$32,614,304 in 2017. According to the report, "Most CEOs have come to be grossly overpaid, and that overpayment is harmful to the companies, the shareholders, the customers, the other employees, the economy, and society as a whole."
Source: As You Sow (2018)
Business Ethics Political donations
This company is on OpenSecrets.org's list of the 100 top donor organisations in US federal-level politics since 1989. Companies on this list lobby and spend big, with large sums sent to candidates, parties and leadership PACs. This company comes in at number 68 on the list, with donations totalling US$28,812,155 between 1989 and 2018.
Source: Open Secrets (2018)
Business Ethics Corporate responsibility claims
This company has corporate responsibility claims on its website under the headings
purposeful storytelling, engaging with impact and creating responsibly and sustainably. They also have a diversity and inclusion policy.

Source: company website (2020)
Social Modern Slavery statement
California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.
Source: company website (2020)
Information Media Ownership Chart
Time Warner is the largest media conglomerate in the world, with holdings including: CNN, the CW (a joint venture with CBS), HBO, Cinemax, Cartoon Network, TBS, TNT, America Online, MapQuest, Moviefone, Warner Bros. Pictures, Castle Rock and New Line Cinema, and more than 150 magazines including Time, Sports Illustrated, Fortune, Marie Claire and People.
Source: Stop Big Media (2010)
AT&T Inc
Environment CDP Climate Change Score of A-
In 2020, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change risk. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Climate Change Score of A-.
Source: CDP (2020)
Business Ethics 82.4% at JUST Capital
JUST Capital polls Americans every year to identify the issues that matter most in defining just business behaviour. For their 2021 rankings the public identified 19 issues, which are organised under the headings Workers, Communities, Customers, Shareholders and Environment. JUST Capital then define metrics that map to those issues and track and analyse the largest, publicly traded U.S. companies. This analysis powers their rankings, in which this company ranked 8th of 928 companies, and 1st of 6 Telecommunications companies.
Source: JUST Capital (2020)
Social 100% on Corporate Equality Index
This company is listed as having best practice on a report card on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in corporate America.
Source: Human Rights Campaign (2020)
Business Ethics 75/100 S&P Global ESG Score
This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 75/100 in the Telecommunication Services category of the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices (last updated 7 Feb 2021). The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
Source: S&P Global (2021)
Business Ethics 35.5% in Newsweek Green Ranking 2017
This company received a score of 35.5/100 in the Newsweek Green Ranking 2017, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on eight indicators covering energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, fines and penalties, linking executive pay to sustainability targets, board-level committee oversight of environmental issues and third-party audits. Ranking methodology by Corporate Knights and HIP Investor.
Source: Newsweek (2017)
Environment Fined for environmental violations
In 2017 the California Attorney General and the Alameda County District Attorney announced a US$9.5 million settlement with AT&T subsidiary DirecTV to resolve allegations that its California facilities unlawfully disposed of large volumes of hazardous waste - including hazardous batteries, electronic devices, and aerosols - and committed additional violations stemming from the mismanagement of such items.
Source: State of California Department of Justice (2017)
Social Fined for misleading consumers
In 2019 AT&T agreed to pay US$60 million to settle litigation with the Federal Trade Commission over allegations that the wireless provider misled millions of its smartphone customers by charging them for "unlimited" data plans while reducing their data speeds.
Source: USA Federal Trade Commission (2019)
Social Fined over 911 outages
In 2018 the US Federal Communications Commission settled an investigation into AT&T Mobility’s 911 outages of March and May 2017. As a condition of the settlement, the company must pay a $5.25 million fine, implement proactive system changes to reduce the likelihood and impact of future 911 outages, improve processes for notifying 911 call centers of any future outages, ensure reliable 911 call completion, and regularly file compliance reports with the FCC.
Source: USA Federal Communications Commission (2018)
Business Ethics CEO Pay Ratio of 325:1
In 2019 the median pay for a worker at this company was US$98,630. The CEO was paid 325 times this amount. Exorbitant CEO pay is a major contributor to rising inequality. CEOs are getting more because of their power to set pay, not because they are increasing productivity or possess specific, high-demand skills. The economy would suffer no harm if CEOs were paid less (or taxed more). In contrast, the CEO-to-typical-worker compensation ratio was 20-to-1 in 1965 and 58-to-1 in 1989.
Source: AFL-CIO (2020)
Business Ethics Political donations
This company is on OpenSecrets.org's list of the 100 top donor organisations in US federal-level politics since 1989. Companies on this list lobby and spend big, with large sums sent to candidates, parties and leadership PACs. This company comes in at number 15 on the list, with donations totalling US$75,946,230 between 1989 and 2018.
Source: Open Secrets (2018)
Business Ethics Excessive CEO pay
As You Sow's 2021 report, 'The 100 Most Overpaid CEOs', reveals the 100 most overpaid CEOs from USA's 500 largest public companies (as determined by the S&P 500 list). This company's CEO, Randall Stephenson came in at number 26 on the list, having been paid US$32,032,925 in 2020. According to the report, "Most CEOs have come to be grossly overpaid, and that overpayment is harmful to the companies, the shareholders, the customers, the other employees, the economy, and society as a whole."
Source: As You Sow (2021)
Environment Climate action commitments
As listed on the We Mean Business website, this company has committed to the following climate action initiatives: adopt a science-based emissions reduction target.
Source: We Mean Business (2020)
Social Gender equality
This company appears on the 2021 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, signifying a commitment to supporting gender equality through policy development, representation, and transparency.
Source: Bloomberg (2021)
Business Ethics GeSI member
This company is a member of the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI), a leading source of impartial information, resources and best practices for achieving integrated social and environmental sustainability through Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Source: GeSI (2019)
Business Ethics Responsible Minerals Initiative member
This company is a member of the Responsible Minerals Initiative (formerly the Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative), which helps companies address conflict minerals issues in their supply chains. The RMI provides information on conflict-free smelters and refiners, common tools to gather sourcing information, and forums for exchanging best practices on addressing conflict minerals. Membership is open to companies that use or transact in tantalum, tin, tungsten or gold (3TG). Founded in 2008 by members of the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative.
Source: RMI (2019)
Environment Green Grades Report card
C+ grade on the 2011 Green Grades Report Card, which examines the paper practices of a dozen Fortune 500 companies
that consume vast amounts of paper, (A best, F worst).
Source: ForestEthics (2011)

> About the Icons

Company Details

Type Wholly-owned subsidiary
Employees 26,000 (2017)
Subsidiaries Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment 

Video games

Video games division of AT&T's Warner Media subsidiary, Warner Bros Home Enertainment. Has acquired several game studios including Monolith Productions, TT Games, Midway Games and Rocksteady Studios.

Contact Details

Address New York, New York, USA
Website www.warnermediagroup.com

Products / Brands

WB Games
Batman: Arkham Action-Adventure Games
Game of Thrones: Conquest Mobile Games
Golf Clash Mobile Games
Injustice Action Games
Lego Platform Games
Middle-earth Action-Adventure Games
Mortal Kombat Action Games


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