The entertainment industry is the hoped-for glamour profession for dreamers everywhere, who flock to Los Angeles and elsewhere to get their shot at stardom or a career in movies and TV. But a closer look reveals that these companies are far from dream factories, and most work just like any other big U.S. business does: making decisions that affect their employees’ happiness and job security with every move, sometimes at the risk of disenfranchising them. Comparably wanted to look into the culture scores for these five companies – Comcast, DirecTV, Dish Network, Disney and Viacom – to see how employees on the inside feel. Thanks to Comparably’s employee-submitted data, we can get a sense of how satisfied workers are at each company.
COMPANY CULTURE
Comcast takes the first category, which tracks how employees feel about their company’s overall Culture. Disney and Dish Network were just a few percentage points behind Comcast, but Viacom and especially DirecTV may need a little more time at the drawing board.
Comcast: “It’s a fun, positive fast-paced environment that remains flexible and welcoming of change.”
DirecTV: “Upper management needs to listen and care about the employees. Stop working people to death.”
Dish Network: “The culture is fast paced and challenging, however Dish does not compensate for it. Employees burnout and get discouraged.”
The Walt Disney Company: “Everyone has a shared passion: Disney. This connects everyone and gives everybody a way to share with each other.”
Viacom: “It’s a bit low-key culturally. The environment is not particularly inspiring, but it is fine.”
CEO
Comcast’s CEO Brian Roberts wins here, bringing Comcast’s total up to two for two. Disney’s Robert Iger trails Roberts by six points, with Dish’s Charlie Egan right on his tail. DirecTV’S Michael White brings up the rear with a notably low score.
Comcast: “Brian seems to know what he is doing. We think he overpaid for Sky.”
DirecTV: “We see White as a dictator in an ivory tower.”
Dish Network: “He is a visionary and always one step ahead. He needs to improve compensation throughout the company, however.”
The Walt Disney Company:“He is good at mergers, creating new resorts, theme parks and movies. He needs work with corporate wellness, 401k, & putting the right people in the right position.”
Viacom: “Leadership is approachable. They keep it real.”
COMPENSATION
Comcast goes three for three, taking the win in the Compensation category. That puts them four points ahead of second-place Viacom and eleven points ahead of third-place Dish. Disney lands in fourth place, still good enough for a fourteen-point win over last place DirecTV.
Comcast: “The pay is definitely fair after a year or so because the value of the stock-based compensation, and the benefits are huge.”
DirecTV: “Other companies in same industry with very similar positions are being compensated by several dollars more an hour.”
Dish Network: “I make 10,000 less than the average person with the same job title as me. They need fair market assesment.”
The Walt Disney Company: “I am underpaid! Disney will layer on responsibilities without additional compensation.”
Viacom: “They frequently keep people as contractors that should rightfully be hired on as employees.”
PERKS & BENEFITS
It’s Comcast again for the Perks & Benefits category, eking out a skin-of-their-teeth win over Viacom, which landed the same score but a slightly lower grade. Disney is in third. For once, DirecTV does not bring up the rear, ceding that honor to Dish Network.
Comcast: “Quarterly bonuses; commissions; merit raises; annual theme park tickets; meals provided by the company for special occasions.”
DirecTV: “We get catastrophic insurance and a free DirecTV package.”
Dish Network: “Terrible health insurance, and they are unapologetic about it. 5 grand high deductible, 80% after that all the way up until 12k out of pocket max for a family.”
The Walt Disney Company: “Health, dental, vision, mental, Hep B vaccine, overtime comp and double time compensation.”
Viacom: “Medical, dental insurance, paid time off, vacations, sick days, and holidays.”
DIVERSITY
Dish finally takes one for the Diversity category, but in this case Disney, Comcast and Viacom only lost first-place by a small handful of points. DirecTV once again sits in the caboose position.
Comcast: “They like to pride themselves on diversity, and I do believe that it is something that Comcast wants.”
DirecTV: “The company needs less discrimination.”
Dish Network: “That depends on the store your at and the location. I’ve worked in a few states and it’s different everywhere.”
The Walt Disney Company: “We have a massive amount of diversity.”
Viacom: “Staff is mostly white & Asian.”
OUTLOOK
Comcast: “The internet service is growing the fastest and it seems the cable service is starting show signs of slowing down.”
DirecTV: “With the AT&T business plan I expect to see DirecTV completely fail in 4-5 years.”
Dish Network: “The company is headed in the right direction.”
The Walt Disney Company: “I love working on exciting projects that positively impact people’s lives and positively impact the company.”
Viacom:“I love the people I get to work with and the push for new technology.”
The Walt Disney Company finally takes a win in the final category, Outlook, which measures how enthusiastic employees are about their company’s future. Only a fool would bet against Disney continuing to rake it in, but the overall winner here is Comcast. Nobody calls that company “the happiest place on earth,” but maybe they should: Comcast managed to beat all comers in terms of Culture, CEO, Compensation, and Perks & Benefits. Overall, Dish Network and Disney both took one each, Viacom was all over the board, and DirecTV was our black sheep that couldn’t catch a break.
