Lifetime's Holiday Movie Stars Reflect on This Year's Inclusive Storylines
Yes, the festive season is here and, in 2020, the simple comfort and joy found in watching holiday programming will take on a whole new level of appreciation for many. This year, Lifetime's rollout of new holiday movies will represent "the most festive, inclusive, and diverse year yet," according to Amy Winter, the network's executive vice president and head of programming. During the network's 'It's a Wonderful Lifetime' press day, leading Lifetime cast members, writers, and producers expressed the pride they hold in being a part of this year's slate of holiday films, which reflect the
Cox and Connecticut Connect Students Through 'Everybody Learns'
In the wake of school closures provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic, a groundbreaking public-private partnership emerged to connect students in Connecticut. Across the state, thousands of students struggled to "learn from home" without a broadband connection. While internet service providers (ISPs) like Cox Communications had quickly kicked into action, both the public and private sectors knew that more needed to be done. By coming together, Cox and the state of Connecticut were able to leverage their collective expertise to get those students online in time for the Fall 2020 semester. Cox has a
How BET Wrote the Blueprint for Live Events in a Pandemic
For decades, the annual award shows hosted by TV network, BET, have marked an important moment to celebrate Black excellence and honor Black achievements. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, many in-person events large and small were cancelled or severely postponed. However, the BET team pressed on to find novel ways of celebrating black excellence – from the summer BET Awards to the Soul Train Awards that wrapped up the 2020 Thanksgiving weekend. BET has now produced three COVID-safe award shows. Innovative virtual solutions allowed the network to share its most anticipated events
Amid a Year of Uncertainty, Community is More Important Than Ever
As folks around the country prepare to celebrate a different kind of Thanksgiving, it’s important to take a moment and reflect on how this year has also brought people together amid the unknown. When COVID-19 began spreading in the United States and millions of people began working and learning from home, America’s broadband and entertainment leaders asked themselves what they could do to help their communities and neighbors. ISPs and TV networks connect with communities every day, and their involvement goes beyond the internet services and entertainment offerings they provide, whether it’s
Charter's Investment in Rural Ohio Brings Residents Up to Speed
Late last year, the citizens of Athens County, Ohio, which is situated in beautiful Appalachian country, received some exciting news. The county would soon be receiving access to internet speeds that rival those in Los Angeles and New York City households. For a rural area that sees many tourists come through, and where many of its residents travel from small towns to work in the city of Athens, this was a pretty big deal. By the end of 2019, Charter deployed its advanced Spectrum Internet services to over 2,400 homes and businesses in the area using its own private capital funds. Over the
Cox's Team in Louisiana Steps Up to Get Students Online
School shutdowns nationwide amid the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted millions of Americans, especially those children and families who lack high-speed internet connectivity in their homes. In states like Louisiana, the digital divide is significantly pronounced and difficult to remedy. Fortunately, Cox Communications stepped up to help in areas including New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette Parish with its Connect2Compete broadband adoption program. The internet service provider (ISP) had a strong, existing presence in those regions, having forged long-time partnerships with schools and
How the Cable Industry is Bridging the Digital Divide
As America continues to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, September’s announcement of the “K-12 Bridge to Broadband” initiative announced by NCTA and EducationSuperHighway (“ESH”) was a watershed moment in the national imperative to shrink the ‘homework gap’ that ESH estimates currently impacts an estimated 9.7 million students. The initiative establishes a public-private partnership model that is already starting to see major accomplishments and sets the groundwork for making a meaningful difference in helping millions of American students use home broadband service to facilitate distance
REVOLT TV Discovers Its ‘Why’ Moment
“Mark Twain has a quote, ‘the two most important days in a person’s life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why’—why you are here on this earth,’” said Detavio Samuels, COO for REVOLT Media & TV. For Samuels, never had that quote resonated more than it did this year. As tumultuous as this year has been, Samuels believes that the network’s ‘why’ moment arrived in 2020. He explained at this year’s NAMIC conference last month, “REVOLT TV was born in 2013, seven years ago, but it wasn’t until these two global pandemics hit our audience at the same time that we truly discovered our
Saluting America's Veterans, Today and Every Day
Today, the cable industry joins the rest of the country in honoring the military veterans who have made tremendous sacrifices in their efforts to serve the United States. The internet and television community has long hosted and promoted a variety of initiatives and programs year-round that are dedicated to supporting veterans and their families as they transition to civilian life. Their work ethic, talents, and skills are incredibly valuable and necessary to the success of the industry, and cable companies especially recognize and celebrate their achievements in a myriad of ways every year on
Why TV Ratings Are So Important to Parents
Television has always played an influential part in children's lives and that’s true now more than ever, as families grapple with a COVID-19 pandemic that has altered normal everyday life and caused millions of children to spend more time at home and more hours consuming TV. What children see and hear on a TV show can leave an impact on them, and parents rely on having good tools to help them make the best viewing choices for their families. Thankfully, the TV Parental Guidelines, also known as the TV ratings system, is available for families to use in determining whether a particular program