Community Relations, Beverly Greenberg
Time Warner Cable Milwaukee Division
Beverly Greenberg has spent the last 13 years spearheading cable public affairs for Time Warner Cable's Milwaukee Division and has transformed it into one of the most recognized public-affairs programs in the country.
Greenberg believes a company that is actively engaged in strengthening its community can only benefit as the community continues to grow and thrive. She remains focused on ensuring that public affairs positively impacts customer growth and customer care. To that end, her unique educational programs always promote the use of cable television and highlight the educational value of cable TV to families throughout Southeast Wisconsin.
Greenberg's local, state and national award-winning programs — such as Time Warner Cable's Hang Tough Video Contest, a drug prevention initiative; Time Warner Cable's Kidz Biz Program, which teaches students to become astute consumers of the media; Time Warner Cable's Road Runner Club, an initiative created to bridge the digital divide; the Ready to Read Program, designed to encourage online and traditional reading among youth; and dozens of launch events and educational programs — have won the Milwaukee Division 20 Wisconsin Cable Communications Association Awards and 22 CTPAA Beacon Awards, with another record six nominations in 2004.
Throughout her career, Greenberg has actively developed a positive image, not only for Time Warner Cable, but also for the cable industry in general. In 2003, Greenberg once again raised the bar to create a local on-demand channel unlike any other in the country and described by Wisconsin Lieut. Gov. Barbara Lawton as an extraordinary public service.
The quality, range and depth of her community activities demonstrate a powerful mix of creativity, a solid understanding of key business objectives and well-established relationships at the local and national levels, resulting in projects that are impactful and sustainable.
Government Relations, Scoot MacPherson
Court TV
Scoot MacPherson's leadership as Senior Vice President of Public & Government Affairs has earned Court TV an industrywide reputation for high profile, quality public affairs, education and government-relations initiatives.
Through the cornerstone program "Choices and Consequences," winner of the CTPAA's 2000 Golden Beacon Award, MacPherson has developed strategic partnerships with cable affiliates, government leaders and educators to fulfill its mission of empowering youth to make responsible decisions and to teach youth and adults alike that decisions made in a moment may have consequences for a lifetime.
Court TV's commitment to public service has become widely recognized at all levels of federal, state and municipal government, garnering widespread support and alliances with government leaders. MacPherson worked closely with former President Bill Clinton and former Attorney General Janet Reno on several youth violence programs during the Clinton Administration, and both Clinton and Reno appeared publicly many times on Court TV's behalf.
He is currently partnering with President Bush's White House and the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education on a wide variety of initiatives. Most recently, Court TV traveled with First Lady Laura Bush to highlight "Choices and Consequences" as a case study for her focus and call to action for "character education."
Court TV has been appointed the official media partner of the Brown vs. Board of Education
Presidential-Congressional Commission. As a public-affairs outgrowth to Court TV's recent original film Chasing Freedom, MacPherson was instrumental in influencing Undersecretary of Homeland Security Asa Hutchinson to announce an ongoing review of U.S. asylum policies and procedures.
MacPherson is also a familiar presence on Capitol Hill, where he is routinely aligning with Congressional members to engage them in Court TV's public-service activities and advocacy for improved legislative and social policies.
Media Relations, Anne Cowan
Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing
In the early 1990s, Anne Cowan was a media relations and PR adviser with a Washington firm and was asked to work with the CEO of a fledgling cable network called Mind Extension University.
Using her typical approach, she conducted a surprise ambush interview with Glenn Jones, and proceeded to review the video with him.
Shortly thereafter, Cowan became the on-camera news and interview coach for another cable net start-up, The Monitor Channel, and thus began her love affair with cable.
In 1991, she became a core member of the team that developed the Cable Industry Public Affairs Training Program. She delivered the two-day intensive communications skills program to more than 1,000 cable general managers across the country (there were few cable PR people in those days).
In 1996, Cowan happily traded in her consultant's hat for a VP of Communications hat when Steve Effros, then President of CATA (Cable Telecommunications Association), decided to take a chance that Cowan could not only train — but do. (She actually tried to follow in Rob Stoddard's shoes, but they were too big for her.)
There, she continued her efforts in improving industry media relations and public affairs, while supporting NCTA's The Future Is On Cable and Cable in the Classroom's media-literacy initiatives, among others.
When CATA closed in 1999, Char Beales, President and CEO of CTAM, joined the ranks of CEOs "taking a chance" on Cowan and hired her to take CTAM's trade and consumer communications to a new level. And so her love affair with cable continues. Most recently, Cowan has devoted her energy to two major consumer-awareness and public-relations initiatives on behalf of CTAM members and the industry: Only Cable Can and Cable On Demand.
She has been an active member of CTPAA for many years and served several rewarding terms on the CTPAA Board of Directors.
