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 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 www.ecozonemedia.com or
www.ecozone.tv for more information.
SOURCE CBS Corporation
