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Release
NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING & EXPLOITED CHILDREN, THE ADVERTISING
COUNCIL AND MYSPACE PARTNER TO PROMOTE ONLINE SAFETY
Public Service Advertisements to Run On News Corporation's Outlets
Including Television, The Internet, and Newspapers
Los Angeles, CA – April 10, 2006– The
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC), the
Advertising Council and News Corporation, parent company of Fox Interactive
Media and MySpace, announced today a joint effort to promote online safety
through the deployment of a series of national public service advertisements
(PSAs). The PSAs, part of an ongoing Ad Council campaign, will begin running
today through News Corporation’s broad network of distribution channels,
and are designed to raise awareness about Internet safety and education.
The campaign is part of an ongoing, industry-wide effort led by MySpace,
Fox Interactive Media and News Corporation to work with leading advocacy
organizations to develop safety curriculum and educate the public on online
safety.
“Fox Interactive Media now has the third largest reach of any Internet
company and from the top down, News Corp is committed to making the Internet
as safe as possible. We’re delighted to be working with the National
Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the Ad Council on this
important awareness initiative,” said Peter Chernin, President and
Chief Operating Officer of News Corporation. “We will be leveraging
the full power of News Corp’s broad distribution channels to get
their message out and remain deeply committed to promoting online safety.”
“We know the Internet holds tremendous potential for our nation’s
youth,” said Ernie Allen, President and CEO of NCMEC. “We
are pleased to be partnering with News Corp and MySpace to extend the
reach of our ad campaign so that we can educate additional parents, guardians,
and teens about how to prevent online victimization so our children may
have safer experiences online.”
“We are grateful to News Corporation for their generous commitment
of donated advertising time and space to this important campaign. Their
support in media frequented by our target audience will go a long way
to getting this important message out to teens and their parents,”
said Peggy Conlon, President and CEO of the Advertising Council.
“Since its inception MySpace has worked with law enforcement to
aid in the protection of teens and help find runaways,” said Chris
DeWolfe, CEO of MySpace. “So, this partnership makes a lot of sense
on many levels given NCMEC’s position as the premier organization
in helping find and protect children.”
Sponsored by NCMEC and created pro bono by ad agency Merkley + Partners,
the PSAs are designed to educate parents and guardians about measures
they can take to better protect their children online, and to educate
teens on how to be smart and maintain safe online relationships. The PSAs
direct parents, guardians, and teens to visit www.cybertipline.com to
learn about safe and responsible use of the Internet, as well as how to
report threats.
The PSAs will air on primetime on FOX, and across Fox Interactive Media’s
network of websites including MySpace, FoxSports.com, IGN.com, Fox.com,
AmericanIdol.com, Rotten Tomatoes and AskMen. The PSAs will also air on
the 28 Fox Networks Group broadcast, cable and satellite services. Fox
broadcast and cable networks running the campaign will include FOX, FX,
National Geographic channel, Fox Movie Channel, Fox Reality, FUEL TV,
FSN, SPEED, Fox College Sports Atlantic, Fox College Sports Central, Fox
College Sports Pacific, Fox Soccer Channel and (in Spanish) on Fox Sports
en Espanol. All Fox-owned-and-operated regional sports networks will likewise
televise the PSAs. Additionally, Fox All Access radio and the New York
Post will run the campaign.
About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
NCMEC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works in cooperation
with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention. NCMEC’s congressionally mandated CyberTipline, a reporting
mechanism for child sexual exploitation, has handled more than 365,600
leads. Since 1984, NCMEC has assisted law enforcement with more than 117,100
missing child cases, resulting in the recovery of more than 99,500 children.
For more information about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline
at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit its web site at www.missingkids.com.
About The Advertising Council
The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a rich history
of marshalling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries
to deliver critical messages to the American public. Having produced literally
thousands of PSA campaigns addressing the most pressing social issues
of the day, the Ad Council has effected, and continues to affect, tremendous
positive change by raising awareness, inspiring action and saving lives.
About MySpace.com
MySpace is the premier lifestyle portal for connecting with friends and
discovering popular culture. By integrating web profiles, blogs, instant
messaging, e-mail, music streaming, music videos, photo galleries, classified
listings, events, groups, college communities and user forums, MySpace
has created a connected community. As the second ranked web domain in
terms of page views*, MySpace.com is the most widely-used and highly regarded
site of its kind. With more than 65 million members, MySpace is committed
to providing the highest quality user experience and will continue to
innovate with new features that allow its users to express their creativity
and share their lives, both online and off.
• Among the top 2000 domains. comScore Media Metrix, February 2006.
For more information on comScore Networks, please go to http://www.comscore.com.
News Corporation (NYSE: NWS, NWS.A; ASX: NWS, NWSLV) had total assets
as of December 31, 2005 of approximately US$55 billion and total annual
revenues of approximately US$24 billion. News Corporation is a diversified
international media and entertainment company with operations in eight
industry segments: filmed entertainment; television; cable network programming;
direct broadcast satellite television; magazines and inserts; newspapers;
book publishing; and other. The activities of News Corporation are conducted
principally in the United States, Continental Europe, the United Kingdom,
Australia, Asia and the Pacific Basin.
Media Contacts:
Fox Interactive Media/News Corporation
Julie Henderson
310.969.7141
julie.henderson@fox.com
MySpace
Dani Dudeck/Edelman
323.202.1890
dani.dudeck@edelman.com
NCMEC Communications Department
703.837.6111
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