Comcast to Launch ‘Breast Cancer Hope Initiative’
Style Network, Discovery Health Channel, Exercise TV Supply VOD Programming
By Multi Channel News Staff -- Multichannel News, 9/23/2007 3:38:00 PM
Comcast Corp. launches a specialized video-on-demand and web initiative Sept. 24 called Breast Cancer Hope, bringing educational and inspirational content to women facing the disease.
The effort is a partnership with Lifetime, which sponsors the VOD platform; Comcast’s Style Network, Discovery Health Channel, Exercise TV and breastcancer.org. The latter online site provides medically reviewed and up-to-date information about breast cancer.
The effort was inspired in part by the experiences of Aileen Roberts, wife of Comcast CEO Brian Roberts. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006 and this year asked company executives to think about ways to provide information for cancer patients, according to the company.
The VOD initiative will include more than 40 programs, grouped in five topical areas. “Fact or Fiction” will help explain to patients what to expect from visits to radiologists, breast surgeons, oncologists, plastic surgeons and other specialists. “What’s my Risk” includes Discovery Health programming on research and prevention; healthy cooking recipes, and cancer-related episodes from programming from CN8, Comcast’s regional news network.
“Inspiration” will be programmed with features on prominent women who’ve faced cancer, plus the Lifetime feature Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy. “What is Breast Cancer” will have discussions on diagnosis through reconstruction. “Fashion Tips” will help patients cope with style.
Cancer information will also be posted at comcast.net/breastcancer. Content will include message boards and an area where users can ask questions of Dr. Marisa Weiss, founder of breastcancer.org.
“Our goal is to make it easy for women to explore this important topic from the privacy and convenience of their own homes,” said Matt Strauss, senior vice president, new media, Comcast.
The material will be available through October, which is breast cancer awareness month.
