2007 Beacon Awards Winners: Government Relations
By Staff -- Multichannel News, 3/19/2007
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Cable System I
Truth Booth
Comcast
Harrisburg, PA
In 2006, Verizon made a forceful effort to win passage of statewide franchising legislation in Pennsylvania. Facing resistance from local governments, Verizon organized meetings to assure municipal leaders that the legislation would promote cable competition and preserve municipal rights. When Verizon hosted a catered dinner for local officials in Harrisburg, Comcast Government Affairs staff rented an adjacent facility and set up a “Truth Booth,” offering the same officials ice cream, coffee and “the Truth about some bad legislation.” More than 50 municipalities adopted resolutions opposing the bill.
Cable System II
Community Concert with Motown Artist KEM
Time Warner Cable
Austin, TX
Time Warner Cable Austin collaborated with State Representative Dawnna Dukes to coordinate a concert with the Motown artist KEM in March of 2006. More than 1,000 community members attended the concert, which was promoted through various outlets in the African-American community. The concert gained positive media coverage in local African-American community publications, the Austin American-Statesman and the Austin Business Journal. During the concert, Dr. Larry Earvin, President of Huston-Tillotson University, accepted a contribution of $25,000 to the Huston-Tillotson University Scholarship Fund, which was made possible through proceeds from the KEM concert.
Cable System III
Call Center Groundbreaking Event
Comcast
Bothell, WA
“I love Comcast's attitude. It is the right attitude for a great business in Washington State,” said Washington Governor Christine Gregoire. Those words, spoken during the Sept. 13 groundbreaking ceremony for Comcast's third Washington call center, were like music to the ears of the Comcast executives and employees who attended the ceremony. With the help of the government affairs team and widespread coverage in local media outlets, Comcast utilized a successful groundbreaking event to build a positive relationship with the Governor and drive home the message among elected officials and Washington residents that Comcast is investing in the local community.
MSO
Power to Learn
Cablevision Systems Corporation
Bethpage, NY
Power to Learn, Cablevision's commitment to learning in its communities, empowers K-12 learning in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut tri-state area by making technology in the classroom useful and facilitating the home-school connection. This dedicated commitment to education provides an ideal platform to involve elected officials from all levels of government. The availability of state of the art technology to schools and libraries, the safe and appropriate use of the Internet and a commitment to literacy are just a few of Power to Learn's core programs that appeal to elected officials and encourage their partnership and support.
Cable Network II
VH1/Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, TB and Malaria — World AIDS Day
VH1, New York, NY
On World AIDS Day (WAD) Dec. 1, 2005, VH1 worked with Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, TB & Malaria to create awareness packages for government officials on the most notable day of the year for Global AIDS Awareness. The objective was to create a comprehensive package that could be used as a valuable resource to teach and advocate about the fight against global AIDS as well as inform Congress on Capitol Hill about the work of the Global Fund. In July 2006, the Senate Labor-HHS appropriations subcommittee approved funding combined with the Foreign Operations bill to bring the support for Global Fund to $700 million.
