Black Entertainment Television (BET), Cable Positive, the cable and communications industry’s AIDS action organization, and World Vision, an international Christian humanitarian organization, have contributed more than $75,000 to produce the events.  Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs and Freeplay Foundation have also added meaningful in-kind contributions to the effort.

A press event to outline these partners’ efforts in fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa will be held in the Zenger Room at the National Press Club, 529 14th Street, N.W., 13th Floor, Washington, D.C., beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2000. 

The VOA World AIDS Day concerts will include a hip-hop event hosted by Bush Radio in Cape Town, South Africa on Dec. 1 with local talent including BVK (Brassie Vannie Kaap), a popular hip-hop group, Mr. Devious, an emcee/rapper about to release his debut album, Innadiflo, a popular Cape Town Kwaaito group and others. 

In Beira, Mozambique on Dec. 2, Radio Pax will host a concert with traditional and contemporary local musicians, dancers, and theatrical performers.  The day-long festival will feature groups selected for their talent and messages about HIV/AIDS including Asem, a theatrical group composed of orphans from Mozambique’s civil war, Rapazes do Campo, a group from a district which suffered massive floods last year, and two nationally known musical groups, Rastilho and Licuba.   The concerts will reach out to at-risk youth of high-school age with messages about HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention and tolerance.

At the Nov. 14 National Press Club event, VOA Director Sanford Ungar will outline events and performers participating in the World AIDS Day Concerts sponsored by this public-private partnership and describe the joint efforts to foster greater community dialogue about HIV/AIDS-related issues. 

Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) Chairman and cable industry leader  Marc Nathanson will comment on the critical need to combat HIV/AIDS internationally.  He will discuss the combined efforts of U.S. government sponsored international broadcasting and Cable Positive. 

Through a contribution in honor of BBG Chairman, Marc Nathanson, VOA has gained the support of Cable Positive and private cable television network BET.  The Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs is assisting VOA in developing a series of public service announcements.  In addition, World Vision, whose efforts in Africa include aiding tens of thousands of AIDS orphans, is an important sponsor of the campaign.  The Freeplay Foundation is donating wind-up Freeplay radios to 24 schools in Cape Town so students will be able to listen to HIV/AIDS related programming on Bush Radio. 

Ms. Debra Lee, President and Chief Operating Officer of BET, is expected to outline her company’s commitment to develop specialized programming on HIV/AIDS issues over the course of the coming year.

Dr. Joe Riverson, a Ghanaian-born medical doctor and HIV/AIDS specialist, will comment on World Vision’s efforts to assist AIDS orphans in Africa. 

Dr. Karusa Kiragu, a communications specialist from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs, will describe the unique role that local media have to play in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa. 

The Voice of America broadcasts over 900 hours of news and information each week to an estimated worldwide audience of 91 million regular listeners.  Broadcasting in 53 languages, VOA reaches its audience over radio, television and the Internet.

Contact:  Tish King
Phone:  (202) 619-2786