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Each of the winning 1999 Beacon Award projects is summarized below. For more information on how the winning project was designed and/or implemented, and what the results were, please contact ACC at: phone: 202.222.2370 email:Mbutler@cablecommunicators.org |
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| Government Relations; Full
Campaign/Series; Cable System I Holland Ballot Proposal Turndown MediaOne - Holland System Plymouth, MI On November 3, 1998 a measure created by the Holland Board of Public Works to deliver cable television over their own fiber optic network was on the ballot. In a successful effort to sway Holland's voters to a "no" vote, MediaOne conducted significant research, supported by full-page advertisements in local newspapers proving that city-owned cable television systems typically failed to provide savings for residents. The proposal was defeated, falling short of the necessary 60 percent. Government Relations; Full Campaign/Series; Cable System IV As cable theft became a serious problem in the state of Colorado, TCI Central set out to educate members of the public and state legislators about the urgency of the issue via articles and editorials, testimony and written correspondence. An additional objective was to inform law enforcement officials into the cable theft problem. By lobbying key legislators to draft and generate support for a compromise act to increase civil penalties for cable theft, TCI successfully forged an anti-cable theft bill that was approved by the Colorado legislature. Government Relations; Full Campaign/Series; Cable Network Recognizing affordable child care as a priority issue in Washington and with policy makers around the country, Lifetime Television launched an extensive public affairs campaign that capitalized on net’s ability to amplify women's voices. The company also teamed up with non-profits focused on this important issue. The use of a toll free phone number and the internet generated thousands of responses from parents, grandparents, family members, and concerned citizens, many of whom shared their stories via e-mail. Lifetime then distributed these stories to Congress and other policy makers in order to humanize this national debate and to spur effective political action; ensuring high quality and affordable child care for all families. Government Relations; Full Campaign/Series; State or Regional
Association Recognizing the growing financial threat of cable theft in Florida, the FCTA pulled together a task force to form a cooperative action between cable personnel and law enforcement authorities. The goals were to educate the community via its public affairs show CableTALK, gather and share information on cable theft throughout Florida, and to enact legislative action making it illegal to place ads in publications that offer unauthorized cable boxes. Since the law took effect, illegal ads are being forwarded to the attorney general, and stricter law enforcement has curbed the use of "black boxes." Government Relations; Full Campaign/Single or Special Event; Cable
System I In order to gain public enthusiasm for TCI Digital Cable, the company planned a public demonstration for August, 1998. TCI decided to hold a luncheon to showcase two other initiatives - @Home, its new high speed internet access; and TCI Network Solutions - private networks and internet access for businesses. To garner publicity, TCI arranged for football legend Gale Sayers to attend the luncheon. As a result, TV, radio, and newspaper covered the event which greatly helped accomplish the goal - demonstrating TCI’s new products. Government Relations; Full Campaign/Single or Special Event; Cable
Network In response to the documented lack of election-oriented programming made available by broadcasters and the inequity inherent in campaign financing between major and minor party candidates, the California Channel offered free airtime to all 72 candidates for General Election. The finished project, 6.5 hours in length, aired in its entirety on 14 broadcast days leading up to the election, giving statewide candidates a total of 80 hours of actual free airtime. In addition to cablecasts, the interviews were archived in "RealVideo" format on the channel's web site for voters, schools and other interested parties. |
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