CONTACT: Thomas Dima 212.459.1605 thomas@cablepositive.org

CABLE POSITIVE LAUNCHES NEW PSAs AS PART OF JOIN THE FIGHT HIV/AIDS AWARENESS AND PREVENTION CAMPAIGN IN SUPPORT OF WORLD AIDS DAY, DECEMBER 1, 2005

Bart Freundlich Directs Spots Featuring Matthew Broderick, Billy Crudup, Rosario Dawson, Jimmy Fallon, Jerry Ferrara, Allan Houston, Idina Menzel, S. Epatha Merkerson and Miss Universe 2005 Natalie Glebova

NEW YORK, NY - October 19, 2005
Cable Positive, the cable and telecommunications AIDS action organization, announced the launch of the second phase of the award-winning JOIN THE FIGHT HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention campaign today.  The organization enlisted the support of acclaimed director Bart Freundlich (The Myth of Fingerprints) and celebrity activists Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Producers),  Billy Crudup (Almost Famous, Stage Beauty), Rosario Dawson (in the upcoming movie version of Broadway musical RENT), Jerry Ferrara (HBO’s Entourage),  Jimmy Fallon (former Saturday Night Live cast member),  Allan Houston (recently retired NY Knick), Idina Menzel (Tony award winner for WICKED and in the upcoming RENT), S. Epatha Merkerson (Emmy award winner for HBO’s Lackawanna Blues, Law & Order) and Miss Universe 2005, Natalie Glebova to participate in phase two of the campaign - Weapons of Mass Instruction.  Grammy award winning music artist India. Aire has generously donated the song Strength, Courage &Wisdom from her album Acoustic Soul to score the spots.  The new spots were produced in collaboration with Kismet Films.

Cable Positive’s JOIN THE FIGHT HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention public service campaign takes a positive and proactive stance on the fight against HIV/AIDS.  By promoting ideas and actions, the campaign inspires people to get involved.  Since its launch in November 2004, this award-winning campaign (PROMAX, TV Cares Ribbon of Hope Award presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences) has utilized cable television to raise AIDS awareness, promote HIV prevention and reduce stigma and fear surrounding the disease through compelling public service announcements (PSAs) and informative website. 

In the Weapons of Mass Instruction campaign, celebrity activists are shot in black and white and discuss the weapons they use in the fight against HIV and AIDS, their “mind”, “heart” and “voice”.   The year-long campaign launches on cable television in support of World AIDS Day, December 1, 2005 and will run in support of National Black AIDS Awareness Day, February 7, and National HIV Testing Day, June 27.  Cable Positive joined forces with the Latino Commission on AIDS to support National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, October 15 by producing and distributing new spots, part of the JOIN THE FIGHT campaign, produced in English and Spanish languages featuring Latina soap star Gabriela Spanic, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s Eduardo Xol and Efren Ramirez of Napoleon Dynamite fame.

Cable Positive offers nationally tagged spots that directs viewers to a www.cablepositive.org/jointhefight, a website dedicated to providing information more information about HIV and AIDS including testing, transmission, and prevention, and local taggable spots for cable systems to partner with community-based AIDS service organizations.

For more information about the campaign or Cable Positive please contact Thomas Dima at 212.459.1605 or thomas@cablepositive.org or just visit www.cablepositive.org.

ABOUT CABLE POSITIVE
Cable Positive is a national non-profit organization that was founded in February 1992 by three concerned cable executives with the mission of organizing cable’s resources in the fight against AIDS. Cable Positive will mobilize the talents, resources, access and influence of the cable and telecommunications industry to raise HIV/AIDS awareness; support HIV/AIDS education, prevention and care; and strive to end stigma by creating a more compassionate climate for people whose lives have been affected by HIV or AIDS. Cable Positive has grown to include supporters from every major cable network, multiple system operator, cable system, hardware manufacturer, trade association, media publication, and affiliated industry vendors and suppliers. Since 1992, Cable Positive has raised more than $14.9 million in the fight against AIDS. For more information about Cable Positive, call 212-459-1502 or log on to www.cablepositive.org.