Joe Durkin
Senior Director Corporate Communications
(727) 329-2926
Joe.Durkin@mybrighthouse.com
BRIGHT HOUSE NETWORKS LAUNCHES BRIGHT KIDS NETWORK
Commits more than $1 Million to Florida Boys & Girls Clubs’ Afterschool Programs
Tampa -- (July 14, 2006) – Bright House Networks today launched Bright Kids Network, a new comprehensive community outreach program, at the Liberty Mompierre Boys & Girls Club in Tampa and has committed $1 million to Florida Boys & Girls Clubs after-school programs located in Hillsborough, Volusia and Manatee Counties.
Bright Kids Network will support after-school programs by providing scholarships to cover membership fees for youth from low-income and/or single-parent families, funding for new programs and campaigns to promote awareness, complimentary digital cable, high-speed internet and public awareness air time over a four-year period. Bright Kids Network was designed from Florida customer feedback.
“We asked our customers what social issues were important to them, confirmed the need and acted according to their input, “said Kevin Hyman, president of Bright House Networks Tampa Bay Division. “We wanted to make sure that we invest in issues that matter most to our customers. And, our employees are excited about making a difference in the lives of Florida’s youth through our Bright Kids Network initiative.”
Last year, Bright House Networks conducted customer research to determine key community concerns and found that children’s safety and education were priorities. Additional local, state and national research reflected a need for investment in after-school programs (additional research is available upon request).
Bright House Networks will provide funding and services to Boys & Girls Clubs in Manatee, Hillsborough and Volusia counties. Six clubs have been selected to receive scholarships initially, including Liberty Mompierre Club located at 4160 W. Mango Drive and the Jose Llaneza Club located at 2806 N. 15th Street in Ybor City.
“Bright House Networks leadership on this issue will have a lasting impact on Florida’s children,” said Glenda E. Hood, former Florida Secretary of State and board member of the AfterSchool Alliance.
AfterSchool Alliance is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to advocacy for after-school programs. “Our AfterSchool Alliance research indicates that the social impacts of leaving children alone are grave for the children, their families and communities. Corporate support like that of Bright House Networks is crucial to giving youth safe and productive experiences when school are out,” said Roy Opfer, Executive Director, Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay.
Bright House Networks selected the Boys & Girls Clubs because of the organization’s exceptional track record as an after-school provider.
“Boys & Girls Clubs offer a safe place for kids to learn and grow as one of the largest providers of after school programs in the country,” said Kevin Hyman, President of Bright House Networks’ Tampa Bay Division. “We are thrilled to build on and fortify our already strong relationship with this important community organization.”
“Bright House Networks commitment to our after-school programs is yet another example of how this local company makes a difference in the communities it serves,” says Roy Opfer, Executive Director, Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay. “We are thrilled to be the recipients of this generous commitment, and look forward to working closely with the company and its local staff throughout the next four years.”
About Bright House Networks
Bright House Networks is the nation’s 7th largest MSO with over 2 million customers in several large markets including Bakersfield, California; Birmingham, Alabama; Detroit, Michigan; Indianapolis, Indiana; Orlando, Florida (Central Florida Division) and Tampa Bay, Florida along with several other smaller systems in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. The high-growth Tampa/Central Florida markets are contiguous and form one of the country’s largest cable clusters.
Bright House Networks customers have Digital Phone, high-speed data (HSD), Video-on-Demand (VOD) and Subscription Video-on-Demand (SVOD) available to them. Bright House Networks also makes available Digital Video Recorders (DVR) that have become immensely popular with customers. The company’s Florida operations currently deliver nearly 300 channels to customers and were among the first in the country to offer High Definition Television signals (HDTV). Since its introduction, HDTV has achieved impressive acceptance with Bright House Networks customers who are equipped to receive the signals.
Exceptional customer service is the company’s cornerstone of its business and top priority across all operating units. Bright House Networks local, customer service centers are available 24 hours per day, seven days per week, including holidays. Public affairs, social responsibility and community involvement continue as major initiatives for the company as an ongoing commitment to the families and communities Bright House Networks serves. This includes long-term commitments to education and to what matters in the lives of the Bright House Networks customers. Bright House Networks operations are proud supports of and partners in children’s safety initiations, enhanced education programs and community-wide efforts to invest in the futures of children.
