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Nearly $2B Contributed by Cable Industry to Communities in 2006

By Eve Sullivan, TMCnet Editor

The cable television industry contributed nearly $2 billion in support to local communities in 2006, a figure that increased $600 million from 2004, according to research by the Association of Cable Communicators (ACC).

 

The study, conducted by ACC and Cision US, a leading global provider of research, is an effort to quantify cable’s philanthropic contribution to communities.

 

It summarizes that cable system operators and programming networks contributed a total of $1,994,794,418 to their communities during 2006, compared to $1,361,698,733 in 2004, the first year the research project was conducted.

 

“The results from this study again confirm that the cable industry truly cares about the communities and localities it serves,” said Steve Jones, ACC executive director. “Our companies are an integral part of their local communities and they support their neighbors by contributing nearly $2 billion to the cities and towns where they do business.”

 

Other results show that the industry overall provided $159,302,000 in support to schools and educational institutions across the nation, an increase of 29 percent over the two-year period from 2004. 

 

Specifically, schools and educational institutions received the equivalent of $48,990,000 in free broadband and cable services.  The cable industry also contributed another $110,312,000 in educational expenditures to schools and educational institutions. 

 

In 2006, cash and in-kind support by the cable industry to charities, non-profits and educational institutions totaled $925,236,000, an increase of 122 percent from 2004, according to the study.

 

Public service announcements were valued at $897,106,000 in 2006, an 11 percent increase from 2004. Cable industry companies also provided $8,513,000 in the value of volunteer time to community organizations. Rounding out the survey results was an additional $4,637,000 contribution of broadband services to libraries and youth centers, an increase of 231 percent since 2004.

 

The study was based on data obtained by contacting executives at both cable systems and programming networks. ACC sought to quantify the cable industry’s philanthropic contribution to communities via a national questionnaire conducted from March 2007 to March 2008. Results, based on the total industry subscriber figures, were obtained from 24 percent of programming networks and 72 percent of cable operators.

 

Eve Sullivan is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Eve’s articles, please visit her columnist page.