CBS Corporation and EcoMedia Team Up With U.S. Mayors to 'Green' Cities Across the Country

CBS Corporation and EcoMedia Team Up With U.S. Mayors to 'Green' Cities Across the Country

Collaboration Will Extend the Private-Public Model Championed by Miami's Mayor Manny Diaz to Cities Nationwide, Providing Mayors with Funding for a New Program for Environmental Initiatives

First National Project, 'CBS & EcoZone Green Schools Initiative' Launches This Fall in Miami, Chicago and San Francisco

MIAMI, June 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- EcoMedia, the environmental media company, and CBS Corporation (NYSE:CBS.A)(NYSE:and)(NYSE:CBS) today announced a ground-breaking strategic partnership to work with U.S. mayors and local municipalities to "green" cities across the country. The project will utilize CBS's unparalleled local resources, and will leverage corporate advertising and sponsorship revenue to improve the quality of the environment in key markets across the nation.

The public-private partnership was unveiled today, one day before the kickoff of the 76th Annual Conference of Mayors in Miami, by Leslie Moonves, President and Chief Executive Officer of CBS Corporation, Paul Polizzotto, Founder and CEO of EcoMedia, Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and other key mayors from around the nation.

The new collaboration is an extension of the recent success of Mayor Diaz in "greening" Miami. The partnership he forged with EcoMedia and CBS's WFOR-TV will serve as the model for this nationwide project. The effort earned Miami the title of "America's Cleanest City" by Forbes Magazine.

"In the face of these challenging economic times and the reality of global warming, the EcoZone model makes more sense than ever for cities across the country," said Diaz. "I am proud of what we have accomplished in Miami to date, with the EcoZone program and our hometown CBS4-Miami. I am excited to see the partnership that was developed in Miami expand in this new partnership with CBS Corporation to more cities looking to deliver measurable environmental benefits without adding to their economic burdens."

"We're always looking for ways to increase the positive impact in the communities we serve," said Moonves. "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."

"I can't think of a better partner than CBS to help extend our mission to clean the environment," said Polizzotto. "This partnership with CBS allows us as an environmental media company to have a more meaningful conversation with viewers and it allows our advertisers to have a profoundly different conversation with their consumers."

Through the partnership, EcoMedia will leverage its multimedia platforms including retail kiosks at Kimco centers (NYSE:KIM) 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 also 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 from this new partnership for the environment will be the CBS and EcoZone "Green Schools Initiative." This program 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.

Based on the success of this initiative, the partnership will fund significant new local environmental projects and technologies on an ongoing basis in many of CBS's owned and operated markets. Future expansion could include additional CBS affiliate markets. Future projects are expected to include helping to fund affordable green housing, solar installations, taking parks off the grid, tree plantings, hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles into city fleets, among others.

In just four years, the EcoZone program has implemented several environmental initiatives that have helped cities such as Miami achieve recognition as being environmentally responsible. 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. EcoZone's partnership with Miami's CBS station, WFOR-TV, provided public awareness for the program. All of the funding for the EcoZone Program has come from the growing corporate investment in green advertising through EcoMedia.

About CBS Corporation

CBS Corporation is a mass media company with constituent parts that reach back to the beginnings of the broadcast industry, as well as newer businesses that operate on the leading edge of the media industry. The Company, through its many and varied operations, combines broad reach with well-positioned local businesses, all of which provide it with an extensive distribution network by which it serves audiences and advertisers in all 50 states and key international markets. It has operations in virtually every field of media and entertainment, including broadcast television (CBS and The CW - a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment), cable television (Showtime and CBS College Sports Network), local television (CBS Television Stations), television production and syndication (CBS Paramount Network Television and CBS Television Distribution), radio (CBS Radio), advertising on out-of-home media (CBS Outdoor), publishing (Simon & Schuster), interactive media (CBS Interactive), music (CBS Records), licensing and merchandising (CBS Consumer Products), video/DVD (CBS Home Entertainment), in-store media (CBS Outernet) and motion pictures (CBS Films). For more information, log on to www.cbscorporation.com.

About EcoMedia and EcoZone

EcoMedia is the world's premier environmental media company, dedicated to pioneering marketing and media programs which help companies connect to consumers while generating necessary resources to address critical environmental challenges. EcoMedia and its flagship EcoZone Program were founded in 2002 with the mission to create solutions for environmental problems with all partners involved - business, government, environmental advocates and the community. The company utilizes its traditional media offerings such as television, radio, out-of-home, online, interactive and event marketing to help corporations build their business. In turn, revenues are generated and used to make a positive environmental difference in the communities in which these companies and their employees live, work and do business. Up to fifty percent of EcoMedia's clients' investment goes towards funding environmental projects and technologies in 15 of America's leading cities, such as installing solar panels on top of City Hall in Miami and at Long Beach Airport, and supporting the Mather Wetland Enhancement Project in Sacramento County. Many companies claim to be "green", but the companies that work with EcoMedia and the EcoZone Program are actually making an impact on the environment. That's the EcoMedia Difference. Visit www.ecozonemedia.com or www.ecozone.tv for more information.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: KJorgensen@cbs.com

Source: CBS Corporation

CONTACT: For CBS, Shannon Jacobs, +1-212-975-3161, sljacobs@cbs.com; For
EcoMedia, Bryan Specht, Dig Communications, +1-202-528-9595,
bspecht@digcommunications.com, or Pete Marino, Dig Communications,
+1-312-339-8833, pmarino@digcommunications.com; For Mayor Diaz, Kelly Penton,
+1-305-416-1440 kpenton@miamigov.com

Web site:

http://www.cbscorporation.com/
http://www.ecozonemedia.com/
http://www.ecozone.tv/

Company News On-Call:

http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/965075.html

-------
Profile: intent