CBS & EcoZone(R) Call for Entries in Their Green Schools Initiative

CBS & EcoZone(R) Call for Entries in Their Green Schools Initiative

Schools nationwide will win 'green makeovers' valued at $250,000 in products and services

MIAMI, Oct. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- EcoMedia, a leading environmental media company, and the CBS Corporation today kicked off the CBS and EcoZone(R) Green Schools Initiative. One winning school in each city will receive a green makeover valued at approximately $250,000 in products and services and overseen by a professional "green schools coach." EcoMedia and CBS were joined by Miami Mayor and current President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Manny Diaz, and Miami-Dade Superintendent of Schools Alberto Carvalho, in a call for entries from schools in Miami, the Initiative's first market.

"We are proud to launch this exciting initiative in Miami and happy to provide an opportunity for our students to think about what being environmentally responsible truly means," said Miami Mayor Manny Diaz. "We are looking forward to the children's responses and to soon awarding Miami students with the tools to 'green' their school."

"We are proud that this effort will help increase environmental awareness with students across the country, while also challenging them to explore concrete ways to improve our environment," said Leslie Moonves, President and Chief Executive Officer, CBS Corporation. "We look forward to the entries from students, teachers and administrators, and are pleased to highlight them across our broad range of media assets."

"Together with our partner CBS, we've created a new model for advertising," said Paul Polizzotto, Founder and CEO of EcoMedia. "By providing funding for environmental projects and technologies through the sale of advertising, our media can be procured and sourced like any other sustainable product. Now, in addition to energy saving light bulbs and recycled paper, the simple everyday purchase of advertising can be part of a corporation's ongoing sustainability initiatives."

EcoMedia has secured pre-sale sponsorships from a cross-section of traditional and non-traditional advertisers including Microsoft, TCP, O Organics, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Like all EcoMedia programs, the Green Schools Initiative is only made possible by the sponsors who purchase media through the world class advertising assets offered by EcoMedia and its media partners, including CBS, Kimco Realty, Worldwide Pants, and KIWI Magazine. A significant portion of these sponsors' media dollars will help fund the makeovers.

"We're proud to help lead this extraordinary effort to create 'green' schools where students can learn real-world lessons on environmental responsibility simply by looking at the classrooms around them," said Ellis Yan, CEO, TCP, Inc, official lighting sponsor. "This is a shining example of how the public and private sectors can work together to inspire America's youth to make smart decisions that will help protect our planet."

Additional opportunities for sponsor involvement with the Green Schools initiative are available in Miami and markets where calls for entries will be launched over the next few weeks. EcoMedia and CBS expect this innovative public-private partnership to continue expanding to award green makeovers to schools across the country.

Students, teachers and administrators can enter the Green Schools Initiative by submitting a creative response that expresses what "being green" means to them, as well as filling out an application at http://www.ecozonemedia.com/greenmyschool/. Winners will be chosen by a committee consisting of members of EcoMedia's Advisory Board, including USGBC, NOAA EPA/Energy Star, Waterkeeper Alliance, city and school officials, corporate sponsors, and members of the CBS Corporation, and will be announced in January 2009. In addition to the grand prize, a sustainable environmental program will be provided to all participating schools through Miami non-profit Dream In Green.

"Green schools are a powerful demonstration of our commitment to our children's future," said Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council, "and it's the best way to show the next generation how we can all make a difference in this world. We are excited about today's announcements of the EcoMedia and CBS Green Schools Initiative and the launch of the Mayor's Green Schools Alliance as important demonstrations of how we can leverage the creativity and influence of the media and mayoral leadership to deliver measurable, meaningful improvements for our environment and the students of our nation."

The USGBC "Mayors Green Schools Alliance" includes Mayor Diaz in his capacity as current President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Formation of the Alliance has also involved a dozen other leading mayors from across the country including Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, Vice President of the USCM.

"As one of the Nation's premier environmental science agencies, NOAA is proud to support the Green School's Initiative," said Jack Dunnigan, Assistant Administrator for NOAA. "Environmental awareness is the thread that binds the wise use of our natural resources together with the strength of our economy. NOAA is proud to join with EcoZone as part of a partnership between industry and government to educate the public and promote improved awareness and action to benefit our environment."

"The CBS & EcoZone Green Schools Initiative offers us a great opportunity to educate and inspire our youngest citizens to protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices," said Mike Zatz, Manager of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR Commercial Buildings Program. "We at ENERGY STAR are excited to participate in this partnership, and are pleased to contribute the analytical tools to help both the winning schools and others identify opportunities for energy efficiency improvements, and measure the impacts of these improvements on the environment.

This program represents another clear example of EcoMedia's innovative public-private partnership model: delivering media that does more than simply carry green messages and raise awareness, by actually funding real projects and technologies that lead to measurable environmental improvements in communities around the nation. Now, the procurement of media by leading corporations can also benefit the communities where their products and services are sold. Truly "Green Media" is media that actually greens.

About EcoMedia

EcoMedia is the world's premier environmental media company, dedicated to innovative marketing and media programs that reach target consumers while generating the resources to help the public tackle critical environmental challenges. Founded in 2002, EcoMedia and its partners CBS, Kimco, and Worldwide Pants, offer clients world-class advertising assets and content that fulfills their marketing objectives while connecting their advertising to concrete environmental initiatives across the country through the EcoZone Program. Up to fifty percent of each sponsor's media spend goes toward funding measurable efforts by local governments to improve the environment. Examples of EcoZone initiatives have included solar panel installations and lighting retrofits in public buildings, as well as runoff water filtration installations, all funded by sponsor media spends. All projects are approved and overseen by the EcoMedia Advisory Board, made up of environmental leaders such as EPA's Energy Star and the U.S. Green Building Council, in cooperation with mayors and other local officials. The company's latest program is the CBS & EcoZone Green Schools Initiative, which provides for "green makeovers" valued at $250,000 in products and services for schools across the country. Visit http://www.ecozonemedia.com/ for more information about EcoMedia, the EcoZone Program and the CBS & EcoZone Green Schools Initiative.

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 http://www.cbscorporation.com/.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: EcoMedia

CONTACT: Matthew Hargarten, +1-414-745-8408,
mhargarten@digcommunications.com, for EcoMedia; or Sarah Douglis of EcoMedia,
+1-646-287-3203, sarah@ecozonemedia.com; or Jeremy Murphy of CBS,
+1-212-975-4577, Jeremy.Murphy@cbs.com

Web site: http://www.ecozonemedia.com/
http://www.cbscorporation.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment