WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Cable Show 2010 will mark the third consecutive year for the industry’s “CableCares” initiative – including the popular “Battle of the Bands.” 

CableCares is a cable industry program that raises funds and organizes volunteers to support worthy causes in the convention’s host city.

The Cable Show 2010, the 59th Annual Convention and International Exposition of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), will take place May 11-13, 2010, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. 

CableCares, in cooperation with Time Warner Cable in Los Angeles, is pleased to announce that “A Place Called Home” (APCH), a non-profit youth center in South Central Los Angeles (www.apch.org), will be the beneficiary of this year’s program.

“We’re proud to help stage The Cable Show in Time Warner Cable’s service area.  It provides our company, and the entire cable industry, with a great opportunity to ‘give back’ to the residents and consumers of our host city of Los Angeles,” said Glenn Britt, co-chair of The Cable Show 2010 and Chairman, President & CEO of Time Warner Cable.  “A Place Called Home provides vital services to those who need them most, and our industry, born and bred in local communities, is eager to help bolster these efforts with a significant contribution of time and resources.” 

APCH helps inner city youth through educational enrichment and by providing a secure, positive family environment where children can regain hope, earn trust and self-respect, and learn skills to lead to a productive lifestyle free of gangs, drugs and poverty. Proceeds raised from CableCares events will be used to support the APCH program, “A Bridge to the Future,” which includes college and career preparation and guidance counseling, scholarships, and internships for students ready to enter the job market.  Donations will help provide computers, software, supplies, a workspace renovation, and other needed items.

The 2010 CableCares program will offer a variety of opportunities for Cable Show attendees to participate in the community affairs commitment in the following fashion:

  • By donating financial support:
    • Support Battle of the Bands with Sponsorship dollars
    • Purchase tickets for Battle of the Bands
    • Make additional contributions
  • By donating time for a half day of community service at APCH on the morning of May 11:
    • Painting murals
    • Planting a community garden
    • Renovating the “Teen Trailer”
    • Installing Computers and Cleaning Server Rooms
  • By donating products and/or services:
    • Computers
    • Musical Instruments, sound and recording equipment
    • School supplies
    • Office Supplies & equipment
    • Housewares

A full list of sponsorship and volunteer opportunities is available at www.thecableshow.com/cablecares.

Also under the CableCares umbrella, Sportsman Channel will once again sponsor Hunt.Fish.Feed. – a program that brings much needed food and services to the homeless of Los Angeles.

Battle of the Bands Moves to Opening Night!

The primary source of funds for CableCares is the money raised through NCTA’s annual “Battle of the Bands” – a live competition featuring bands comprising some of the cable industry’s top musical performers.  This year’s charity concert, which historically signals the close of the show, will be held on the first night, Tuesday, May 11, at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles.  Celebrity judges and audience voting will again determine the winner.  The event will also feature a special headline performance which will be announced in coming weeks.  A full slate of sponsorship opportunities is now available under “Battle of the Bands” at www.thecableshow.com/sponsorships. 

NCTA is seeking bands to join the Battle of the Bands competition. To qualify as a participant in Battle of the Bands, musicians must be employed within the cable industry, its suppliers or supporting industries.  Performance slots are limited and audition tapes (in mp3 format) should be submitted via email to thecableshow@ncta.com, by March 1, 2010.  Selected bands will be notified shortly thereafter, and each will perform a three-song set during the concert.

For more information on bands, tickets, and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.thecableshow.com or call NCTA Industry Affairs at 202/222-2430.

Additional, up-to-the-minute information for The Cable Show is available via the official website or from NCTA’s Department of Industry Affairs, at 202/222-2430.

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NCTA is the principal trade association for the U.S. cable industry, representing cable operators serving more than 90 percent of the nation's cable television households and more than 200 cable program networks. The cable industry is the nation’s largest broadband provider of high-speed Internet access, serving more than 40 million customers, after investing more than $145 billion to build two-way digital networks with fiber optic technology. Cable companies also provide state-of-the-art digital telephone service to more than 20 million American consumers.