Comcast Cable Launches Bridges TV on Digital Basic Cable, Bridges TV Unveils Groundbreaking New Shows

Comcast Cable Launches Bridges TV on Digital Basic Cable, Bridges TV Unveils Groundbreaking New Shows

Channel available to all Comcast Digital Customers in southeast Michigan

DETROIT, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Bridges TV, a premier English language network connecting the West with the Muslim World, is making its most significant announcement since its initial launch two years ago. Comcast Cable, the nation's largest cable operator, is launching Bridges TV on Comcast Digital Cable. Bridges TV will be available soon to all Comcast Digital Cable customers in southeast Michigan, at no additional cost.

The debut will make Bridges TV's programming available to a greater number of the 1.4 million Comcast Michigan customers on its Digital Basic tier of programming. Bridges TV launched in December 2004 as a subscription-based pay service. The newly expanded availability of the channel offers greater access to the rich and unique programming available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week in English.

For the first time in American history, Muslim and Arab Americans are gaining a voice in mainstream media. This underscores Comcast's commitment to diversity and to the rapidly expanding Muslim and Arab-American population. This new broadened access of Bridges TV on Comcast Digital Cable encourages increased dialog and understanding between Americans and Muslims and Arabs at a time when both cultures need to learn more about one another.

The debut comes on the heels of a recent USA Today/Gallup Poll that found that "substantial numbers" of Americans admit to having negative feelings or prejudices against Muslim and Arab-Americans. The poll also found that 22 percent of respondents would not want Muslims or Arabs as their neighbors. Nearly 40% of respondents expressed they want Muslim and Arab-Americans to carry special identification. Underscoring the need for further communications and understanding, the survey also found that Americans who have interacted with Muslims and Arabs are more tolerant and less prejudicial.

"Americans need to get to know Muslims through Bridges TV to see that we are good people and citizens striving to contribute to society in a positive way. Because the majority of Muslims are not highly visible, the Muslims doing the most negative work are getting most of the media attention," said Imam Abdullah El-Amin, Chairman of the Detroit Muslim Center, a community organization that offers free walk-in medical clinics, food distribution programs and youth outreach programs to all residents of the Detroit-area.

This announcement heralds the unveiling of two groundbreaking programs on Bridges TV developed following the recent conflict between Israel and Lebanon and the ongoing sectarian struggle in Iraq. The first, "Building Bridges," is an interfaith dialog between Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, President of the Jewish Center for Leadership, Father Mazur of the Catholic Diocese and Imam El-Amin. In addition, "Crescent Walk" is a news magazine program that covers both Sunni and Shia Muslim issues in the United States.

"There are more people today dying in the name of religion since the time of the Crusades. More people are turning to religion. We have to find ways to practice our traditions in ways that are healthier. The question we need to ask is: 'When religion puts up walls, how can we use our own faith to open some doors, windows and bridges?'" said Rabbi Hirschfield. "I have to find Jewish reasons from inside my faith to understand and appreciate Christianity, Islam and other religions," he added.

Bridges TV broadcasts original daily newscasts, children's programming, sports, travel shows, documentaries, and movies about the contributions of Arab, African and South Asian Americans.

Photographs: http://www.bridgestv.com/pictures_new.asp
Video: http://bridgestv.barakastreaming.com/vod/ComcastLaunch.wmv

Media Contacts:
Jerome Espy, Comcast, 248-233-4834 / Jerome_Espy@cable.comcast.com
Hunaid Baliwala, Bridges TV, 716-812-6972 / hbaliwala@bridgestv.com
Mo Hassan, CEO, Bridges TV, 716-308-6593 / mohassan@bridgestv.com

About Bridges TV:

Bridges TV is a 24x7 network in English focused on bridging the West and Muslim world. The purpose of the English language network is to create a dialog between 300 million Americans and one billion Muslims and Arabs worldwide. To learn how to receive Bridges TV, please visit http://www.bridgestv.com/.

About Comcast Corporation:

Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA)(NASDAQ:CMCSK) (http://www.comcast.com/) is the nation's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services. With 23.3 million cable customers, 10 million high-speed Internet customers, and 1.6 million voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.

Comcast's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, The Golf Channel, OLN, G4, AZN Television, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One and four regional Comcast SportsNets. Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia.

This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com/.

Source: Bridges TV

CONTACT: Jerome Espy, Comcast, +1-248-233-4834,
Jerome_Espy@cable.comcast.com; Hunaid Baliwala, Bridges TV, +1-716-812-6972,
hbaliwala@bridgestv.com; or Mo Hassan, CEO, Bridges TV, +1-716-308-6593,
mohassan@bridgestv.com

Web site: http://www.bridgestv.com/
http://www.comcast.com/

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