Comcast Spotlight Connects Voters With Political Advertising ON DEMAND

Comcast Spotlight Connects Voters With Political Advertising ON DEMAND

Political Candidates Can Now Use 'Elections 2006' to Reach Millions of Comcast VOD Viewers

NEW YORK, Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Political candidates now can tap into Comcast's increasingly popular video-on-demand (VOD) platform to reach prospective voters. Comcast Spotlight, the advertising sales division of Comcast, the nation's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products, has introduced "Elections 2006," political advertising on-demand, allowing candidates to connect with potential voters 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This is the first election year that Comcast Spotlight has made ON DEMAND advertising available to candidates.

Comcast's VOD service gives political candidates a unique opportunity to go beyond the 30-second ad to educate and inform voters actively seeking information about their political platform and positions. Candidates throughout Comcast's footprint in nearly 70 markets now have the opportunity to educate and influence viewers with video as short as two minutes or as long as 30 minutes.

Television viewers who want more viewing flexibility are fueling the incredible growth of Comcast's signature VOD service, which has now surpassed three billion program views since 2004. In mature markets, more than 75% of digital cable customers have used the service in the past 90 days. According to research conducted by Scarborough Data of viewers who have used VOD over the past 30 days, 80 percent are registered to vote in their district of residence, while 72 percent vote in statewide elections and 45.1 percent always vote in statewide elections.

Lieutenant Governor-candidate Andrea Silbert was the first candidate in Massachusetts to reach out to voters using "Elections 2006" with a video message nearly six minutes long. "Getting our complete message to voters is critical in a political campaign," Silbert said. "The ON DEMAND platform allows us to provide greater detail in an unfiltered presentation not available through traditional media."

The VOD platform not only benefits political candidates, but it also benefits potential voters by making it easy for them to browse "Elections 2006" whenever it is convenient. "Elections 2006" can be accessed by all Comcast Digital Cable customers at no additional cost by selecting "Searchlight" from the ON DEMAND menu. Searchlight offers information on a variety of products and services, such as local classified listings for jobs, real estate, and cars.

"Political advertising on-demand could very well mark a sea change in the way viewers get their campaign information," said Ed Dunbar, Vice President of Corporate Integration at Comcast Spotlight. "At Comcast Spotlight, we are always looking for innovative ways to utilize our advanced technology to meet the needs of our advertisers while providing viewers with a relevant and informational experience."

Comcast Spotlight offers opportunities for local, regional and national advertisers in all of its VOD-enabled markets. Comcast Spotlight also offers political candidates other avenues to reach viewers, including 30-second spots and online advertising solutions to create a turbo-charged marketing package. With access to Comcast Spotlight's advanced technologies and research, political advertisers can reach viewers with the effectiveness and efficiency that only cable can offer.

About Comcast Spotlight

Comcast Spotlight, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, helps put the power of cable to use for local, regional and national advertisers. Comcast Spotlight is focused on moving the cable advertising industry forward with advanced technologies and innovative products that reach audiences effectively and efficiently. Headquartered in New York with offices throughout the country, Comcast Spotlight has a presence in more than 70 markets, including 22 of the top 25 DMAs. Comcast Spotlight is a registered trademark of Comcast Cable. For more information, visit www.comcastspotlight.com .

Source: Comcast Spotlight

CONTACT: Dana Runnells, Director, Communications of Comcast Spotlight,
+1-917-934-1015, or Dana_Runnells@cable.comcast.com

Web site: http://www.comcastspotlight.com/

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