Collaboration Will Extend the Private-Public Model Championed by Miami's
Mayor Manny Diaz to Cities Nationwide, Providing Mayors with Funding for a
New Program for Environmental Initiatives
First National Project, 'CBS & EcoZone Green Schools Initiative' Launches
This Fall in Miami, Chicago and San Francisco
MIAMI, June 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- EcoMedia, the environmental
media company, and CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS) today announced a
ground-breaking strategic partnership to work with U.S. mayors and local
municipalities to "green" cities across the country. The project will
utilize CBS's unparalleled local resources, and will leverage corporate
advertising and sponsorship revenue to improve the quality of the
environment in key markets across the nation.
The public-private partnership was unveiled today, one day before the
kickoff of the 76th Annual Conference of Mayors in Miami, by Leslie
Moonves, President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS Corporation, Paul
Polizzotto, Founder and CEO of EcoMedia, Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, Chicago
Mayor Richard Daley and other key mayors from around the nation.
The new collaboration is an extension of the recent success of Mayor
Diaz in "greening" Miami. The partnership he forged with EcoMedia and CBS's
WFOR-TV will serve as the model for this nationwide project. The effort
earned Miami the title of "America's Cleanest City" by Forbes Magazine.
"In the face of these challenging economic times and the reality of
global warming, the EcoZone model makes more sense than ever for cities
across the country," said Diaz. "I am proud of what we have accomplished in
Miami to date, with the EcoZone program and our hometown CBS4-Miami. I am
excited to see the partnership that was developed in Miami expand in this
new partnership with CBS Corporation to more cities looking to deliver
measurable environmental benefits without adding to their economic
burdens."
"We're always looking for ways to increase the positive impact in the
communities we serve," said Moonves. "Miami's success with the EcoZone
program is proof that media can do more than simply carry green messages
and raise awareness; it can actually fund real projects that lead to
measurable environmental improvements. To this end, we look forward to
using our unparalleled collection of local media assets to build on what we
accomplished in Miami by implementing change in markets across the
country."
"I can't think of a better partner than CBS to help extend our mission
to clean the environment," said Polizzotto. "This partnership with CBS
allows us as an environmental media company to have a more meaningful
conversation with viewers and it allows our advertisers to have a
profoundly different conversation with their consumers."
Through the partnership, EcoMedia will leverage its multimedia
platforms including retail kiosks at Kimco centers (NYSE: KIM) across the
country, as well as municipal signage to deliver environmental content and
messaging. CBS will provide local market sales support and activate
EcoMedia's environmental programming through CBS's industry-leading
portfolio of media assets, including television, radio, print and
out-of-home advertising. The companies will also join forces on the
creation of environmentally themed content, including working with a
content partner they already have in common: David Letterman's production
company, Worldwide Pants.
The first national project from this new partnership for the
environment will be the CBS and EcoZone "Green Schools Initiative." This
program is expected to launch in Miami, Chicago and San Francisco this
fall. A portion of the corporate sponsor revenues will fund a significant
"greening" of a school in each city and create ongoing sustainable green
projects and initiatives.
Based on the success of this initiative, the partnership will fund
significant new local environmental projects and technologies on an ongoing
basis in many of CBS's owned and operated markets. Future expansion could
include additional CBS affiliate markets. Future projects are expected to
include helping to fund affordable green housing, solar installations,
taking parks off the grid, tree plantings, hybrid and alternative fuel
vehicles into city fleets, among others.
In just four years, the EcoZone program has implemented several
environmental initiatives that have helped cities such as Miami achieve
recognition as being environmentally responsible. EcoZone's initiatives in
Miami have included the "City Hall Energy Efficiency Project," which
involved solar tree installation and a lighting retrofit, as well as the
installation of filters into storm drains to protect rivers lakes and
streams, the funding of Miami "Green Lab," the Miami BayWash Program and
the planting of more than 1,000 trees at Virginia Key. EcoZone's
partnership with Miami's CBS station, WFOR-TV, provided public awareness
for the program. All of the funding for the EcoZone Program has come from
the growing corporate investment in green advertising through EcoMedia.
About CBS Corporation
CBS Corporation is a mass media company with constituent parts that
reach back to the beginnings of the broadcast industry, as well as newer
businesses that operate on the leading edge of the media industry. The
Company, through its many and varied operations, combines broad reach with
well-positioned local businesses, all of which provide it with an extensive
distribution network by which it serves audiences and advertisers in all 50
states and key international markets. It has operations in virtually every
field of media and entertainment, including broadcast television (CBS and
The CW - a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Warner Bros.
Entertainment), cable television (Showtime and CBS College Sports Network),
local television (CBS Television Stations), television production and
syndication (CBS Paramount Network Television and CBS Television
Distribution), radio (CBS Radio), advertising on out-of-home media (CBS
Outdoor), publishing (Simon & Schuster), interactive media (CBS
Interactive), music (CBS Records), licensing and merchandising (CBS
Consumer Products), video/DVD (CBS Home Entertainment), in-store media (CBS
Outernet) and motion pictures (CBS Films). For more information, log on to
http://www.cbscorporation.com.
About EcoMedia and EcoZone
EcoMedia is the world's premier environmental media company, dedicated
to pioneering marketing and media programs which help companies connect to
consumers while generating necessary resources to address critical
environmental challenges. EcoMedia and its flagship EcoZone Program were
founded in 2002 with the mission to create solutions for environmental
problems with all partners involved - business, government, environmental
advocates and the community. The company utilizes its traditional media
offerings such as television, radio, out-of-home, online, interactive and
event marketing to help corporations build their business. In turn,
revenues are generated and used to make a positive environmental difference
in the communities in which these companies and their employees live, work
and do business. Up to fifty percent of EcoMedia's clients' investment goes
towards funding environmental projects and technologies in 15 of America's
leading cities, such as installing solar panels on top of City Hall in
Miami and at Long Beach Airport, and supporting the Mather Wetland
Enhancement Project in Sacramento County. Many companies claim to be
"green", but the companies that work with EcoMedia and the EcoZone Program
are actually making an impact on the environment. That's the EcoMedia
Difference. Visit http://www.ecozonemedia.com or http://www.ecozone.tv for more
information.
SOURCE CBS Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.cbscorporation.com
http://www.ecozonemedia.com http://www.ecozone.tv
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/965075.html /
CONTACT:
For CBS, Shannon Jacobs, +1-212-975-3161,
sljacobs@cbs.com; For EcoMedia, Bryan Specht, Dig Communications,
+1-202-528-9595, bspecht@digcommunications.com, or Pete Marino,
Dig Communications, +1-312-339-8833,
pmarino@digcommunications.com; For Mayor Diaz, Kelly Penton,
+1-305-416-1440 kpenton@miamigov.com
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