The Beacon Awards recognize the best of the best cable public-affairs campaigns. The Cable Television Public Affairs Association (CTPAA) annually sponsors the Beacon Awards program as part of its mission to develop and promote public-affairs excellence to help achieve industry, corporate and social goals.
The 2004 Beacon Award-winning entries were submitted by cable operators, programming networks and cable associations for public-affairs projects aimed at the community, customers, education, employees, government, the media or cable-association members. This year's Beacon Award winners exemplify the cable industry's commitment to making a difference in the communities it serves.
The 2004 Beacon Award-winning entries demonstrate the hard work, innovation and dedication of public-affairs professionals across the nation. It is through cable public-affairs campaigns and the volunteer efforts of cable employees that local charities and nonprofit organizations nationwide receive the materials and services to further their missions and help those in need.
Cable public-affairs campaigns are instrumental in delivering cable's message and news about technological advances to their customers and help grow the bottom line. In addition, these initiatives help students learn and view the world via cable's high-speed Internet and an array of educational programming.
The magnitude of cable's contribution toward improving the quality of life for its viewers, customers and the communities it serves is very clear when one reviews a year's worth of its best pubic affairs practices.
In January 2004, 94 public-affairs professionals did just that by judging the Beacon entries in an extensive, two-part process that spanned three days at the National Cable & Telecommunications Association headquarters in Washington, D.C. Panels of judges reviewed each submission and chose Beacon Award winners and finalists. The 79 Beacon Award winners of 2004 achieve peer, industry and local-market recognition for their exemplary work and set a standard for their colleagues to emulate.
In 2003 CTPAA created the Public Affairs Achievement Award to recognize individuals for their outstanding contributions within cable public affairs and to CTPAA. While the Beacon Awards recognize the great work cable companies undertake in public affairs, the Public Affairs Achievement Awards will fully acknowledge the talented individuals who develop and execute the most effective public affairs initiatives. Up to four awards will be presented each year in one of the following categories: community relations, government relations, media relations, or local programming.
The inaugural winners of the Public Affairs Achievement Awards are Bev Greenberg, Vice President Public Affairs, Time Warner Cable, in community relations; Scoot MacPherson, Senior Vice President, Public and Government Affairs, Court TV, in government relations; and Anne Cowan, Senior Vice President, Communications, CTAM, in media relations. Each winner illustrates the purpose of the CTPAA Achievement Awards — to acknowledge individuals who develop and execute effective public-affairs initiatives throughout their careers.
CTPAA would like to thank Multichannel News for providing a special showcase for the 2004 Beacon Awards winners and is truly grateful to those companies that support this year's Multichannel News Beacon supplement by paying tribute to the winners. CTPAA is proud to join with Multichannel News to congratulate the 2004 Beacon Award winners.
