Belo Holiday Campaigns Net More Than $4 Million, Collect More Than 574,000 Toys for the Disadvantaged

Belo Holiday Campaigns Net More Than $4 Million, Collect More Than 574,000 Toys for the Disadvantaged DALLAS, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Belo Corp. (NYSE:BLC) operating companies this holiday season cumulatively raised more than $4 million and collected 574,000 toys, 30,000 coats, 8,500 turkeys and more than one million additional items of food for the needy, disadvantaged and disabled in their local communities. More than a dozen of the holiday initiatives are annual programs begun more than a decade ago, with the oldest campaign having started in 1924. "Belo media companies are important members of the local communities they serve. We believe our continued health and success as a Company go hand in hand with the health and prosperity of our audiences and markets," said Jack Sander, president/Media Operations. "The impact and longevity of our holiday community service campaigns is indicative of our commitment." Fourteen Belo television stations participated in a national safe driving advertising campaign, Project Roadblock. Between Christmas and New Year's Eve, the stations ran a series of seven, 25-second spots poignantly identifying the victims of drunk-driving accidents. The spots were produced by the Television Advertising Bureau and the Ad Council. WWL-TV in New Orleans and KMSB-TV and KTTU-TV in Tucson aired additional safe-driving campaigns. Belo operating companies nationwide teamed with hundreds of local charities, sponsors, civic organizations and community volunteers to collect food and winter coats, purchase books, raise money, give away toys and donate blood. The proceeds helped the poor, the disadvantaged, the homeless, disabled veterans and families displaced by natural disasters. Belo's operating company holiday campaigns served more than 149,000 children and 277,000 families in Belo markets. Belo holiday campaigns include the following highlights: The Dallas Morning News collected more than $1 million through the 19th annual The Dallas Morning News Charities program, which runs through January 31. The Morning News pays all administrative costs associated with the campaign, giving 100 percent of donated money directly to agencies. The newspaper has raised more than $14 million since the charity was founded in 1986. WFAA-TV in Dallas/Fort Worth collected more than 85,000 toys (valued at more than $1 million) for 46,000 North Texas children as part of its 35th annual Santa's Helpers Toy Drive -- the third-longest-running Belo community service campaign. This season's campaign was the most successful in Santa's Helpers' history. As part of its 18th annual Celebration in the Oaks campaign, WWL-TV helped raise $1.25 million for New Orleans City Park. The 1,500-acre park, one of the largest urban parks in the nation, receives approximately 30 percent of its annual net revenue from this WWL-sponsored fundraiser. Over a five-week period, WWL's special Celebration holiday lighting display and other festivities in the park helped draw more than 200,000 visitors. The station also aired its 19th annual program aimed at stemming drunk driving. KING-TV, KONG-TV and NorthWest Cable News in Seattle/Tacoma collected 108,000 pounds of food and raised $61,000 to feed more than 250,000 families. The station group also helped raise $406,000 for the Arthritis Foundation of Washington. KTVK-TV in Phoenix joined The Salvation Army in a One Day Turkey Drive, collecting 1,500 turkeys and raising $31,000 for area families. As part of its 19th annual Christmas Angel program, the station collected clothes and 165,000 toys for 60,000 underprivileged children. The Salvation Army recognizes the Christmas Angel program as the largest of its kind in the nation; KTVK has helped collect more than one million toys since Christmas Angel began in 1986. KENS-TV in San Antonio joined with the U.S. Marine Corps in its Toys for Tots campaign to collect more than 175,000 toys, which were distributed to 21,625 children and helped an additional 4,642 families. WVEC-TV in Hampton/Norfolk joined The Salvation Army in collecting $330,000 worth of new clothes for 22,000 underprivileged children, collected 578 pints of blood (enough to serve 1,700 people), teamed with local restaurants to serve free meals to veterans and all active-duty military members, and joined a local publisher in helping to raise $750,000 for schools to buy computers and other educational equipment. The Providence Journal distributed 30,000 toys during the holiday season as part of the newspaper's 81st annual Santa Fund drive -- the oldest charitable campaign of all Belo properties and the largest holiday gifts distribution in Rhode Island. A summary of holiday campaigns is provided below: Belo Media Company Community Service Campaign Television and Cable News WFAA-TV: Dallas/Fort Worth, TX Collected more than 85,250 toys, which were distributed to 46,000 North Texas children, as part of the 35th annual Santa's Helpers Toy Drive -- the most successful toy drive in Santa's Helpers history (the estimated value of the toys collected was more than $1 million.) KHOU-TV: Houston, TX Joined with the Salvation Army to collect 8,000 toys and gifts for underprivileged children, teenagers and elderly as part of 3rd annual Spirit of Texas Toy Drive. KING-TV/KONG-TV; NorthWest Cable News: Seattle/Tacoma, WA Collected 108,000 pounds of food and raised $61,000 to help feed more than 250,000 families on behalf of the Northwest Harvest Food Bank, which provides food for 300 statewide programs; joined the Arthritis Foundation of Washington for a run/walk, raising $406,000. KTVK-TV: Phoenix, AZ Collected an estimated 165,000 toys for 60,000 underprivileged children during the 19th annual Salvation Army Christmas Angel Program, which the Salvation Army recognizes as the largest of its kind in the nation; joined with major corporations and a grocery store chain to collect 1,500 turkeys and raise $31,000 to serve six major food banks. KMOV-TV: St. Louis, MO Collected 56,400 new toys and 208,300 items of food through area schools and agencies as part of the 13th annual Kids Caring 4 Kids, serving 18,000 children and their families in St. Louis on behalf of the Homeless Resource Bank, which serves 40 shelters and non-profit agencies. KGW-TV: Portland, OR Collected 40,000 new toys as part of the 23rd annual Great Toy Drive, serving a record 61 agencies in nine counties in Oregon and Southwest Washington. WCNC-TV: Charlotte, NC Joined with the Discovery Place and The Children's Theater for the television station's 7th annual Six to Grow On Magical Toy Drive. From November through December 19, the drive collected more than 500 toys on behalf of The Salvation Army; partnered with the Siskey YMCA to raise $45,000 for local, at-risk neighborhoods. KENS-TV: San Antonio, TX Joined with the Marine Corps to collect 175,000 new toys for 21,625 children; joined with grocery store chain to raise money to help 4,642 disadvantaged families. WVEC-TV: Hampton/Norfolk, VA Joined with the Salvation Army to provide gifts of new clothes (valued at $330,000) for 22,000 underprivileged children as part of the 12th annual WVEC/Salvation Army Angel Tree campaign; collected 578 pints of blood (enough to serve 1,700 people) as part of the 36th annual Jingle Bell Blood Drive; joined with a local bank to collect $55,000 (the campaign runs through February) to benefit a local children's hospital; joined with Golden Corral restaurants in the 7th annual Military Appreciation Night to serve free meals to all active duty military members and to veterans, raising $52,300 to benefit disabled American veterans of wars; joined with a local publisher to produce a series of PSAs encouraging the sale of Entertainment Books from schools, raising $750,000 for schools to buy computers and other needed educational equipment. WWL-TV: New Orleans, LA Aired PSAs (valued at more than $555,000) for the 1,500-acre New Orleans City Park (one of the largest urban parks in America) as part of the 18th annual Celebration in the Oaks, a five-week event that drew more than 200,000 visitors to the WWL-sponsored fundraiser and helped raise $1.25 million for the park; as part of its 19th annual Twelve for the Road safe driving program, produced 12 consecutive PSAs, running nightly, featuring well-known personalities, civic leaders and visiting celebrities (including the state's governor) who provided recipes for unique alcohol- free drinks; collected toiletries, toys and other items for inner-city children. KVUE-TV: Austin, TX Collected more than 30,000 coats for underprivileged children in Austin during its 18th annual Coats for Kids drive; raised an estimated $15,000 for the Any Baby Can Be A Star campaign, which offers medical and other assistance to underprivileged children. KMSB-TV/KTTU-TV: Tucson, AZ Aired 290 spots (valued at $20,800) on behalf of the Holiday Sharing Center, which raised more than $200,000 in gifts and cash donations for needy families; aired numerous PSAs aimed at eliminating drunk-driving related highway fatalities in Pima and Santa Cruz Counties during the holiday season. KREM-TV/KSKN-TV: Spokane, WA As part of its 5th Annual Tom's Turkey Drive, collected 7,055 turkeys, 177,978 pounds of non-perishable food and raised $30,162 to benefit the Second Harvest Inland Northwest food bank, which provides Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets to low-income families; filled 8,300 gift requests and provided 200 holiday meals for the needy as part of the 21st Annual Tree of Sharing event, which helps more than 50 community service agencies in Spokane; teamed with a local business for Christmas Angel, which raised $9,400 for the Second Harvest Food Bank. KTVB-TV: Boise, ID Partnered with The Salvation Army, local retailers and viewers to collect 17,000 toys during the Great Idaho Toy Drive and 20,000 new books to promote literacy among low-income and homeless children as part of the 11th annual Operation Wish Book -- 5,000 children and their families were served; joined with Albertsons to raise $26,000 in cash and $10,800 in products, which were donated to seven local charities. Texas Cable Network: Hosted a daylong program in which Dallas/Fort Worth, TX station employees "adopted" more than 80 low-income day-care children, treating them to a holiday lunch and toys. Newspapers The Dallas Morning News: Raised more than $1 million during the Dallas, TX 19th annual The Dallas Morning News Charities campaign on behalf of 21 agencies that provide food, clothing, shelter and other basic needs to the hungry and homeless of North Texas. The campaign runs through January 31. The Providence Journal: Distributed 30,000 toys during the Providence, RI holiday season as part of the newspaper's 81st annual Santa Fund drive -- the oldest charitable campaign of all Belo properties and the largest holiday gifts distribution in Rhode Island. The Fund collected more than $130,000 and continues through March 31. Denton Record-Chronicle: Collected and distributed a pickup Denton, TX truck bed full of toys to the local Toys for Tots drive; collected 722 pounds of food for the local community food bank. About Belo Belo Corp. is one of the nation's largest media companies with a diversified group of market-leading television, newspaper, cable and interactive media assets. A Fortune 1000 company with approximately 7,600 employees and $1.4 billion in annual revenues, Belo operates media franchises in some of America's most dynamic markets and regions, including Texas, the Northwest, the Southwest, Rhode Island, and the Mid-Atlantic. Belo owns 19 television stations (six in the top 15 markets); owns or operates seven cable news channels; and manages one television station through a local marketing agreement. Belo's daily newspapers are The Dallas Morning News, The Providence Journal, The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA) and the Denton Record-Chronicle (Denton, TX). Belo operates more than 30 Web sites, several interactive alliances and a broad range of Internet-based products. Additional information, including earnings releases and corporate communications, is available online at http://www.belo.com/ . For more information contact Carey Hendrickson, vice president/Investor Relations & Corporate Communications, at 214-977-6626. Source: Belo Corp. CONTACT: Carey Hendrickson, vice president-Investor Relations & Corporate Communications of Belo Corp., +1-214-977-6626 Web site: http://www.belo.com/ ------- Profile: International Entertainment