Comcast Sets Multicultural, Educational Campaign In Support Of Census

Comcast Corp., counting on an assist from a number of other cable operators, is launching a multicultural education and outreach campaign aimed at increasing awareness and encouraging participation in the 2010 U.S. Census.
"Make A Difference - Be Counted!" features public service announcements and video-on-demand content centered around the census initiative.
Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, Charter Communications, and Bresnan Communications have joined Comcast in pledging in-kind air time to distribute the PSAs nationwide.
Launching March 2, the cable industry will contribute an estimated $3.5 million in resources to the campaign, which features Desperate Housewives star and community leader Eva Longoria-Parker in a two-part PSA series that focuses on educating communities about the 2010 Census and motivating them to fill out and return the Census form. The questionnaire only takes about 10 minutes to complete.
In the first PSA, which is titled "Awareness" and will run from March 2-15, viewers are educated about the importance of the census. In the second spot, titled "Motivation" and set for March 15-April 15, viewers are encouraged to complete and return the Census questionnaire. Both English and Spanish language versions of the spots will be available online at www.comcastvoices.com.
The Spanish-language versions feature Lupe Ontiveros, also of Desperate Housewives, and Latin pop singer Jose Sosa, better known as "Jose Jose."
The PSA campaign is supported by Comcast partner, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and U.S. Census Bureau Advisory Committee members Asian American Justice Center, National Association of Latino Elected Officials, and the National Conference of Black Mayors, who also serve as Comcast partners.
"We are pleased to partner with the U.S. Census Bureau to help educate U.S. residents about the importance of being counted in the 2010 Census," said Comcast executive vice president David Cohen in announcing the outreach effort. "We are also grateful for the support and contributions of other leading cable companies to this campaign."
"Comcast and the cable industry are trusted voices in the communities they serve, and the most important thing they can do as our partners is get the message out that the 2010 Census is easy, important and safe," said Census Bureau director Robert Groves. "We are grateful for their contribution of resources to encourage participation in the 2010 Census."