Cable Positive: Bittersweet in DC
Kudos to Cable Positive’s local DC chapter for getting the mix right at its event Tuesday night in Washington, DC. Heck, on a night when Washington was down after a major sell off on Wall Street following apparently unconvincing words from Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner, it was good to see anything and anyone upbeat in DC.
And upbeat and happy was the sizable throng Cable Positive attracted to a local watering hole for nibbles and drinks. After the strong tradition of theatrical fund raising forged by Cable Positive’s wonderful but soon-to-be westbound national leader Steve Villano, it was appropriate that the crowd followed the happy hour by attending a performance of the musical Avenue Q , across the street at The Warner Theater. Steve would have enjoyed the evening. [For more on Steve Villano please see the comments posted on this blog.]
But back to the socializing. With the heavy dose of scuttlebutt about Cable Positive’s uncertain future circulating in the buzzosphere, we say bully to the DC chapter’s organizers for ignoring the naysayers and going ahead with their event.
And double bully to the companies, like Cox, Discovery, TV One and NCTA, who bought a heavy handful of tickets so employees could enjoy the evening while supporting a worthy cause. The cause this night was Metro Teen AIDS, a group that goes into local schools here to educate students about AIDS.
Triple bully to local leaders, like Cox Northern Virginia GM Janet Barnard and cable lawyer extraordinaire Frank Lloyd, for being there in body and spirit.
Finally, a kind word for TV One’s George Lima, co-president of the chapter, for dampening the fun slightly with his sobering and entirely appropriate talk about the District’s condition with respect to AIDS. DC has one of the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the US. Some say it’s the highest. One in 20 people here are HIV-positive. More than that, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the District has the highest rate of AIDS among African Americans in the country: 277.5 for every 100,000 people. It has the highest rate of new cases reported among Hispanics: 109.2 for every 100,000 people. Back to our friends at Metro Teen AIDS. We were told by the group that last year it reached every 10th grader in the District. This year’s goal is to reach every 7th grader, since these young teens are a prime target group for AIDS.
Yes, it’s fun to eat, drink, socialize and see a show. It’s even better when you’re supporting organizations that are trying to eradicate a totally preventable disease. Local cable gets the message. Let’s hope big cable does, too, and that it gives Cable Positive the level of support this unique organization deserves.
Comment by Steve Villano
Hi Seth:
Thanks for the terrific piece on your blog on the DC Chapter’s “Broadway Benefit.” As usual, you are very kind to me. The Cable Positive Broadway Benefits were born during another time of economic hardship, in the months immediately following 9/11, when donations to non-profits were way down, and Cable Positive needed to look for other funding sources. Our Broadway benefits gave us a fun way to raise money, and highlight the cause of fighting HIV/AIDS.
The DC Chapter selected a real winner with “Avenue Q,” which is a smart, sassy show–just as we like to think Cable Positive is–which uses humor to deflate discrimination. While I could not be there in person, I am delighted that George Lima took the lead in pointing out the catastrophic proportions of the epidemic in metro DC. George is an outstanding leader in this fight, as is his company TV One, and its CEO, Jonathan Rodgers.
I’m not out west yet. I’m working hard at Cable Positive through July 1, raising money, pushing our programs, and doing presentations to our Cable companies and networks around the country, like the one Thomas Henning and I did for Bright House Communications’ Public Affairs staff last week in Daytona, Beach. We still have a lot of work to do, between now and July–launching our first ever Youth AIDS Media Institute University in DC, just before the NCTA Convention, honoring Josh Sapan and Charter’s Neil Smit in conjunction with the NCTA Chairman’s reception, our eighth annual POP Awards, finalizing the search for my successor, and making sure we raise enough funds THIS year to support all of our outstanding programs.
I look forward to seeing you on Feb.24, when CFAX gives out your Web awards. I’m sure there are better websites out there than Cable Positive’s–but, I’ve yet to find them. I hope your judges feel the same way!
Talk to you soon. Happy Birthday to Abby Baby, and to all of our Darwin loving friends.
Steve
Comment by Dave Burstein
Thanks for writing this and showing respect to an admirable organization. I did some AIDS reporting back in the Silence=Death era, and have reasonably kept up, but I had no idea the D.C. rate was still that high. Horrifying, but turning away is even worse.
Comment by Seth Arenstein
Thanks, Dave, for reading and for your comment; yes, it’s a sad fact about D.C.’s rate of AIDS; Metro Teen AIDS has the right message, and it’s wonderful that Cable Positive’s D.C. chapter supports this worthy group.
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