Media Companies Leverage Strengths for the Environment
EcoMedia, an environmental media company, and CBS Corp. plan to work with U.S. mayors and local municipalities to "green" cities across the country. The project will use CBS's local resources and leverage corporate advertising and sponsorship revenue to improve the quality of the environment in key markets across the nation.
The public-private partnership is an extension of the recent success of the partners and Mayor Manny Diaz in "greening" Miami.
"We're always looking for ways to increase the positive impact in the communities we serve," said Leslie Moonves, CBS Corp. president and chief executive officer. "Miami's success with the EcoZone program is proof that media can do more than simply carry green messages and raise awareness; it can actually fund real projects that lead to measurable environmental improvements. To this end, we look forward to using our unparalleled collection of local media assets to build on what we accomplished in Miami by implementing change in markets across the country."
Through the partnership, EcoMedia will leverage its multimedia platforms including retail kiosks at Kimco centers across the country as well as municipal signage to deliver environmental content and messaging. CBS will provide local market sales support and activate EcoMedia's environmental programming through CBS's industry-leading portfolio of media assets, including television, radio, print, and out-of-home advertising. The companies will join forces on the creation of environmentally themed content, including working with a content partner they already have in common: David Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants.
The first national project will be the CBS and EcoZone "Green Schools Initiative," which is expected to launch in Miami, Chicago, and San Francisco this fall. A portion of the corporate sponsor revenues will fund a significant "greening" of a school in each city and create ongoing sustainable green projects and initiatives.
EcoZone's initiatives in Miami have included the "City Hall Energy Efficiency Project," which involved solar tree installation and a lighting retrofit, as well as the installation of filters into storm drains to protect rivers lakes and streams, the funding of Miami "Green Lab," the Miami BayWash Program and the planting of more than 1,000 trees at Virginia Key.