Press release from www.abcmedianet.com
January 23, 2003
ABC PARTNERS WITH THE AD COUNCIL TO PROMOTE
TOLERANCE AND RACIAL COOPERATION
Campaign to Run Through Black History Month
In celebration of Black History Month, the ABC Television
Network and the Advertising Council announce the launch of jointly
produced public service announcements (PSAs) that herald the need for
tolerance and racial cooperation. The seven PSAs feature stars from
many of ABC's top-rated shows, including "My Wife and
Kids," "Alias," "NYPD Blue," "The Practice," "Less Than Perfect"
and "The View," and address the meaning of freedom and the need for
tolerance. The campaign, which debuted on ABC and its affiliate
stations on the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, Monday, January
20, 2003, will air throughout the month of February.
"I have always believed that one voice could make a difference and
that's exactly what these messages say," said Tisha Campbell-Martin
("My Wife and Kids"), one of the stars participating in the
campaign. "By refusing to sit by idly, by simply speaking up about
injustice, you can and will make a difference, and that's what
freedom is all about to me."
These PSAs are part of ABC's ongoing public service
initiative, "A Better Community," and feature messages that were
created jointly with the Ad Council's campaign on Racial Cooperation.
The Ad Council launched the Racial Cooperation campaign with the
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in August of 2002. The
new co-branded messages feature the theme of the original
campaign, "Imagine the Power of One Voice." The PSAs direct viewers
to www.freedomcenter.org to find ways they can get involved in
promoting racial equality and to obtain an informational brochure.
"Racial harmony is an issue that is especially important today,"
according to Peggy Conlon, president and CEO of The Advertising
Council. "We are extremely proud to join with ABC to inspire
Americans to take action against incidents of discrimination, as
everyone has the power to make a difference in promoting racial
equality."
ABC on-air talent featured in the PSA campaign includes:
Tisha Campbell-Martin, Jennifer Freeman and Parker McKenna Posey ("My
Wife and Kids"); Jennifer Garner and Merrin Dungey ("Alias"); Henry
Simmons and Gordon Clapp ("NYPD Blue"); Dylan McDermott, Lisa Gay
Hamilton and Steve Harris ("The Practice"); Sara Rue and Sherri
Shepherd ("Less Than Perfect"); and Star Jones and Joy Behar ("The
View").
Launched in October of 2002, The ABC Television Network's
public service initiative, "A Better Community," focuses on issues
that are of importance to America's families. The campaign is a
project of DisneyHand, the worldwide outreach program for the Walt
Disney Company. The Walt Disney Company, together with its
subsidiaries and affiliates, is dedicated to making the dreams of
families, and especially children, a reality through focused public
service initiatives, community outreach and volunteerism. For more
information on ABC's "A Better Community" campaign, go to
www.ABetterCommunity.com. To learn more about Disney's corporate
public service efforts, go to www.disneyhand.com.
The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a
60-year history of marshalling volunteer talent from advertising and
media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public.
The Ad Council has produced thousands of public service campaigns
that address the most pressing social issues of the day. To learn
more about the Ad Council and its campaigns, visit www.adcouncil.org.
© ABC Medianet
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