The Beacon awards are sponsored by the Cable Television
Public Affairs Association (CTPAA). Nickelodeon’s
Let’s Just Play initiative which encourages
kids to go and get involved in outdoor activities
won four Beacon Awards. It was also a 2005 Golden
Beacon Award finalist.
Nickelodeon Networks public affairs executive VP
Marva Smalls says, “It is an honour to be recognised
by our colleagues in the industry. They have looked
at all of the campaigns from the various networks,
and decided to bestow these awards upon our initiatives.
We are an entertainment company that believes we have
a responsibility that extends beyond entertainment.
As part of our mission to connect with our audiences,
it has been a part of our DNA to incorporate pro-social
campaigns to help empower them.”
Let's Just Play is Nickelodeon's long-term,
pro-social commitment to encourage kids to participate
in active, healthy, and playful lifestyles. The broadcaster
states that the initiative a much needed antidote
to reports of the rise in childhood obesity. It also
helps the concern about the reduction of physical
education in schools and in after-school programmes
and the over-scheduled and sedentary lifestyles of
kids today.
In addition to using the power of Nickelodeon's air,
online sites, and celebrity support, the channel devotes
significant year-round resources to build a grassroots
infrastructure to support physical play opportunities
in communities everywhere. In partnership with local
cable affiliates, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America
and the National PTA, Nickelodeon's Let's Just
Play provides programmatic support for communities
to host their own play activities.
Another initiative that was recognised was TV Land
& Nick at Nite’s Family Table: Share More
Than Meals. This was created by the two networks
in 2003 and seeks to remind its viewers about the
emotional and social benefits that come from taking
the time to sit down and share with one another.
Through a series of promotional spots – which
both networks air in regular rotation daily –
TV Land and Nick at Nite have committed over $11 million
in on-air time over three years to encourage viewers
to experience the benefits of dining together. Parents
who dine with their kids four times a week or more
are more likely to raise kids with better verbal skills,
who perform better in school and are less likely to
abuse cigarettes, drugs and alcohol during adolescence
than families who do not make consistent family dining
a priority.
From the hundreds of entries received in this year’s
Beacon Award competition, 76 winners were chosen by
cable public affairs professionals in an extensive
two-phase judging process.
