Cable Systems Join Forces with
14 Community-Based and AIDS Service Organizations in 11 States
for HIV/AIDS Awareness, Education and Prevention
NEW YORK, NY - April 16, 2003
In an effort to turn the tide against the alarming rate of new
HIV infections in the United States, Cable Positive, the cable
and telecommunications industry’s AIDS action organization,
has awarded grants totaling $69,304 to fourteen (14) community-based
and AIDS service organizations (ASOs) working with their local
cable systems through Cable Positive’s Tony Cox Community
Fund. The fund is dedicated to providing grants of up to $5,000
for non-profit AIDS-related organizations to collaborate with
their local cable systems in the aim of HIV/AIDS awareness, education,
and prevention.
“AIDS organizations and cable systems have really taken
advantage of the funding available through Cable Positive’s
Tony Cox Community Fund,” says Cable Positive President
and CEO, Steve Villano. “The need for HIV/AIDS education
and prevention efforts, combined with the financial needs of AIDS
organizations has made the Tony Cox Community Fund’s mission
of creating partnerships between local cable systems and AIDS
service organizations across America even more valuable.”
Through the fund, ASOs and their cable system partners are eligible
to apply for funding to produce HIV/AIDS-related programming and
public service announcements (PSAs) and to support outreach and
fundraising efforts such as AIDS Walks/Rides, which raise funds
for direct HIV/AIDS services.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that
HIV infection rates, particularly among youth, are rapidly escalating,
with two young Americans being infected by HIV every hour of every
day. The Kaiser Family Foundation also reports that 25% of all
new HIV cases in the United States occur in people under the age
of 21. In addition to the ascending HIV infection rates, AIDS
organizations have been particularly hard hit by the recent years’
economic downturn, which has lead many states to reduce funding
support of HIV/AIDS initiatives.
The grantees’ projects range from teen-produced PSAs, promotional
spots for AIDS awareness events and AIDS Walks/Rides, and programming
targeting Hispanics with culturally competent HIV/AIDS information.
Cable Positive’s Tony Cox Community Fund 2003 Cycle 1 grantees
are:
Access Project at the University of Miami Adolescent
Medicine HIV/AIDS Research Center and Comcast Cable (Miami, FL)
Emmy Award-winning producer Robyn Symon will create one PSA targeting
minority teens to complement the Access Project at the University
of Miami Adolescent Medicine HIV/AIDS Research Center’s
Gettin Busy campaign, which is part of a national effort to promote
awareness about safe sex and testing for at-risk teens. For this
campaign, Comcast Cable is providing in-kind airtime and discounting
the paid airtime by 15%.
AIDS Help and AT&T Media Services (Key West, FL)
Funding will be used to produce a series of PSAs to air on AT&T
Media Services and on the tourist-geared cable channel carried
by every hotel in Key West. The PSAs will target men who have
sex with men (MSM) Key West visitors and the year-round MSM population
of Key West. AT&T Media Services will air the PSAs through
the summer vacation season and into the fall.
AIDS Network and Charter Communications (Madison, WI)
AIDS Network will partner with Charter Communications, who is
providing $5,000 of matching support, to air a series of PSAs
promoting AIDS Network’s AIDS Walk to be held in September
2003.
AIDS Task Force and Comcast Cable (Fort Wayne, IN)
AIDS Task Force will create one PSA to help promote their 7th
Annual AIDS Walk in an effort to increase participation and income.
The PSA will target youth, heterosexual adults, women, and communities
of color and will complement their print and radio promotional
efforts. Comcast Cable is donating 25% of the PSA’s airtime
(220 of the 880 spots) in support of this effort.
Dubuque Regional AIDS Coalition and Mediacom (Dubuque,
IA)
Mediacom is donating $5,078 worth of airtime in support of Dubuque
Regional AIDS Coalition’s PSAs promoting AIDS awareness
and their upcoming events surrounding National HIV Testing Day
(June 27) and World AIDS Day (December 1).
The Gay and Lesbian Center of Greater Long Beach, California
and Charter Communications (Long Beach, CA)
The Gay and Lesbian Center of Greater Long Beach, California will
use their award to purchase airtime for a PSA promoting their
15th Annual AIDS Walk. Almost half of the funding raised from
the AIDS Walk will be distributed to other AIDS organization in
the Long Beach, CA area. Charter Communications is providing 300,000
direct mail pieces to their market area non-subscriber and subscriber
base and a $22,339.90 price break on airtime for almost 4500 cross-channel
spots.
Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan and Comcast Cable (Ann
Arbor, MI)
Funding will be used to create one PSA promoting the applicant’s
11th annual Ann Arbor AIDS Walk in an effort to raise funds, which,
in addition to the Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan, will support
multiple ASOs in the Ann Arbor area. Comcast Cable will donate
over 50% of the airtime purchased for the PSA to promote the AIDS
Walk.
Hispanic Unity of Florida and Comcast Cable (Hollywood,
FL)
One half hour program, in Spanish, will be created to provide
Broward County, FL Hispanics culturally competent information
about HIV/AIDS, with an emphasis on testing. Comcast will promote
and air the program during the week of National HIV Testing Day
(June 27) by providing an estimated $4,800 worth of airtime.
Jacobus Center for Reproductive Health and Time Warner
Cable (Cortland, NY)
Time Warner Cable will air a PSA scripted and produced by teen
peer-educators cross-channel over 1,000 times per month from June
through December in-kind in an effort to encourage youth ages
13-19 to get tested for HIV in Central New York State.
Lifelong AIDS Alliance and Comcast Cable (Seattle, WA)
Lifelong AIDS, the largest comprehensive ASO in the Pacific Northwest,
will produce one PSA and other media outreach targeting youth
ages 14-22. The media efforts will promote Mpowerment, an HIV/AIDS
prevention program with the mission of empowering gay, bisexual,
transgender and questioning youth ages 14-22. Comcast Cable is
donating almost $200,000 worth of cross-channel airtime for this
project and supports Lifelong AIDS Alliance’s other events
and efforts throughout the year.
Mama’s Kitchen and Time Warner Cable (San Diego,
CA)
Targeting the residents of San Diego, CA, three PSAs and one 5-minute
video will be created in an effort to raise AIDS awareness and
promote the services of Mama’s Kitchen, an organization
that helps feed people affected by AIDS. Time Warner Cable will
air the PSAs cross-channel in-kind.
National Society of Allied Health and Comcast Cable (LeVergne,
TN)
Comcast Cable, providing matching airtime valued at $2,585, will
air one PSA targeting youth ages 12-25 in Nashville, TN in an
effort to promote the HIV Prevention House, an event that will
provide HIV/AIDS testing, education, and support for youth.
Northwest Connecticut AIDS Project (NCAP) and Charter
Communications and Cablevision (Torrington, CT)
Producer Gertrude O’Sullivan will work with NCAP and other
ASOs to produce two PSAs promoting the CT AIDS Bike Tour, which
will benefit numerous AIDS organizations in the state of Connecticut.
To support this effort, Charter Communications and Cablevision
will provide almost $4,000 worth of in-kind airtime.
Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation (SAAF) and Cox Communications
(Tucson, AZ)
Cox Communications will air PSAs cross channel 300 times in-kind
at a value of $10,000 to support SAAF’s media efforts to
promote their 15th Annual AIDS Walk.
Grantees were chosen from a record pool of 95 applicants submitted
to the Cable Positive Tony Cox Steering Committee, a group of
cable industry professionals. Seth Morrison, Senior Vice President,
CTAM, chairs Cable Positive’s Tony Cox Steering Committee.
Committee members include: Nan Ahern, Consultant; Paul Braun,
Vice President, Network Programming, Time Warner Cable; Susan
Carden, Vice President, Network Programming, Comcast Cable Communications;
Maryce Cunningham, Consultant; Steve Houck, Vice President, Affiliate
Relations, National Cable Communications; Lucinda Martinez, Director,
Affiliate Marketing, HBO; John Monaghan, Southern California Programming
Director, Adelphia Communications; Judy Poole, Senior Vice President,
Human Resources, Insight Communications; Michelle Ray, Director,
Special Events-Industry Affairs, NCTA; Estilita Ward, Director
of Special Projects, The Montel Williams Show; and Susan Weinstein,
Vice President, Programming Acquisitions, Sirius Radio.
ABOUT CABLE POSITIVE’S TONY COX COMMUNITY
FUND
The fund is named in memory of former chairman and CEO of Showtime
Networks, Inc. and a founding honorary chair of Cable Positive,
Winston "Tony" Cox. Grants are awarded for the creation
of local AIDS-related programming, PSAs, and outreach efforts
in two grant cycles per year. Since its inception in 1996, Cable
Positive’s Tony Cox Community Fund has awarded more than
$1 million to 188 organizations nationwide.
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 is dedicated to unifying the talents, resources,
access, and influence of the communications industry to raise
AIDS awareness; to fund AIDS education, research and care; and
to promote a more compassionate climate for people whose lives
have been affected by HIV and AIDS. Cable Positive has grown to
include supporters from every major cable network, MSO, system,
hardware manufacturer, trade association, media publication, and
affiliated industry vendors and suppliers. For more information
about Cable Positive, call 212.459.1502 or visit www.cablepositive.org.
