CMT News

CMT One Country and Cox Communications, along with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), have joined forces to refurbish a local Club in New Orleans that suffered tremendous damage due to Hurricane Katrina. Focusing on five select markets, including Tulsa, Okla.; Hampton Roads, Va.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Phoenix, Ariz.; and a still to be confirmed location in Kansas, the campaign will collect donations at major events in the respective cities. With the help of the local communities, CMT One Country and Cox Communications will repair specific areas of the Boys & Girls Club in New Orleans, including the education, computer, game, art and music rooms.

"CMT One Country is proud to partner with Cox Communications and Boys & Girls Clubs of America on this important initiative," says Lucia Folk, director of public affairs, CMT. "Promoting community involvement is the primary focus of CMT One Country and it is outreach efforts like this that motivate consumers to help impact the lives of others."

"Cox has a long standing history of community involvement and educational support," said Ellen East, vice president of public affairs. "We are excited to partner with the Boys & Girls Club of America and CMT One Country to create a learning environment for New Orleans youth that will help them grow and prosper."

"We are grateful to CMT and Cox Communications for their generous support," said Roxanne Spillett, BGCA president. "The Boys & Girls Club in New Orleans is just one of 16 Clubs that were severely damaged during Hurricane Katrina, limiting the options for at-risk youth to participate in safe, supervised and structured activities during the after-school hours."

The campaign will kick off with a collection drive at the Express PBR Classic at the Tulsa Convention Center on July 22 -23. Miss America 2006, Jennifer Berry, will be on hand at this event to help collect donations for the cause. At each event, the CMT Cross Country vehicle will also be used to generate traffic, encouraging consumers to donate. Cross channel spots and radio advertising are also scheduled to run in each market to spark donations.

The items collected during the five drives will be presented to the local Boys & Girls Club in New Orleans at a star-studded culmination event in November.

Cox Communications, a Fortune 500 company, is a multi-service broadband communications and entertainment company with more than 5.9 million total residential and commercial customers. Cox offers an array of advanced digital video, high-speed Internet and telephony services over its own nationwide IP network. Cox Business Services is a full-service, facilities-based provider of communications solutions for commercial customers, providing high-speed Internet, voice and long-distance services, as well as data and video transport services for small to large-sized businesses. Cox Media offers national and local cable advertising in traditional spot and new media formats, along with promotional opportunities and production services. More information about the services of Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com, www.coxbusiness.com, and www.coxmedia.com.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org) comprises a national network of more than 3,900 neighborhood-based facilities annually serving some 4.6 million young people, primarily from disadvantaged circumstances. Known as "The Positive Place for Kids," the Clubs provide guidance-oriented character development programs on a daily basis for children 6-18 years old, conducted by a full-time professional staff. Key Boys & Girls Club programs emphasize character and leadership development, education and career development, health and life skills, the arts, sports, fitness and recreation.

CMT One Country, CMT's pro-social initiative, was launched in the fall of 2005 to promote civic participation and inspire CMT viewers to take action and bring about important change in their communities; Boys & Girls Clubs of America is a partner of CMT One Country. CMT, America's No. 1 country music network, carries original programming, specials, and live concerts and events, as well as a mix of videos by established country music artists and new cutting-edge acts, including world premiere exclusive videos. Founded March 6, 1983, CMT, owned and operated by MTV Networks, reaches 82.8 million households in the United States.