Published 06-16-00
Submitted by Comcast Corporation
Comcast Cable Communications, Inc. today announced it is launching a series of public service announcements (PSAs) and print materials next week to promote computer literacy in the nation's communities of color.
The PSAs will air in both English and Spanish in all Comcast systems, reaching more than seven million households. Comcast's local systems will increase the frequency of the spots in ten markets, including Baltimore, Detroit, Philadelphia and others with significant numbers of African American and Latino households with children. In addition, print materials will be distributed to reinforce the telecast messages. In all, Comcast estimates that the value of the campaign will exceed $2.5 million in media.
"Through our gateway into the homes of millions of families, Comcast can help make great strides toward reaching African American and Latino parents and their children with this important message," said Kathy Bryant, Comcast's vice president of resources and outreach, who also manages the company's diversity initiatives nationwide. "We're delighted to have been the first large cable provider to join NAMIC in this effort, and we will work both at the national and the local levels to help the Digital Bridge Project increase computer literacy in these communities."
Comcast's PSA campaign will air from June 19 through September 30, 2000. In Phase II of the initiative, Comcast will work with the Digital Bridge Alliance to make computer technology available to children and teens at a community center to be selected in the Detroit area.
Nancy Hom, who leads the Digital Bridge Alliance, said, "The campaign's slogan is 'Get connected: Our future depends on it,' which speaks to the opportunities available for everyone in the information age. Certainly, the future of African American and Latino youth in our country depends on their ability to use computers and understand technology. And the success of this initiative depends on our ability to 'get connected' with the families who will benefit from this information. We're grateful to Comcast for their tremendous donation of media, as well as for the efforts of their local systems to help us effectively reach these families."
Headquartered in Philadelphia, Comcast Cable is a division of Comcast Corporation (www.comcast.com), a developer, manager and operator of broadband cable networks and provider of programming content. Comcast Cable is the third largest cable company in the United States. Providing basic cable, digital cable and high speed Internet services, Comcast Cable is the company to look to first for the communications products and services that connect people to what's important in their lives. At the close of 2000, the company's more than 10,000 cable division employees will serve more than 8.2 million customers in six geographic regions.
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone providers to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. NBCUniversal operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts.
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