MTVN's Roedy, Insight's Willner Honored at Cable Positive Awards

Helene Gayle of International Anti-Poverty Organization CARE Also Honored by Cable Industry’s AIDS-Action Organization

By B&C Staff -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/5/2008 8:16:00 AM

New York -- Cable Positive, the cable industry's nonprofit AIDS-action organization, held its annual Power Awards benefit dinner Tuesday night at the Marriott Marquis here, where it recognized three industry leaders in supporting HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.

Bill Roedy, vice chairman of MTV Networks, received the Joel A. Berger Award; Helene Gayle, president and CEO of international anti-poverty organization CARE, received the Humanitarian Award; and Michael Willner, vice chairman and CEO of Insight Communications, received the Leadership Award.

The awards were hosted by Regan Hofmann, editor in chief of POZ magazine, and featured guest presenters CCH Pounder from FX's The Shield and musical artist Wyclef Jean.

The event was co-chaired by Oxygen Media founder Geraldine Laybourne, MTVN chairman and CEO Judy McGrath, Advance/Newhouse Communications chairman and CEO Bob Miron, National Cable & Telecommunications Association president and CEO Kyle McSlarrow and Lifetime Television president and CEO Andrea Wong.

Also remembered at the event were former Cox Communications CEO Jim Robbins and veteran Time Warner Cable executive Fred Dressler, both of whom died last year after struggles with cancer.

Cable Positive president and CEO Steve Villano spoke movingly about his late mother's struggle with polio and her commitment to "living with, not dying from" illness, much like those who live with HIV.

The Joel A. Berger Award is named for a former publisher of Multichannel News who died of complications from AIDS in 1995. Past honorees include Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn Britt (2007); Robbins (2006); Lifetime CEO Carole Black (2005); Showtime Networks CEO Matt Blank (2004); Robert L. Johnson and Debra Lee of BET (2003); and Bill McGorry, former publisher of Multichannel News and current chairman of the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame.

Cable Positive, a longtime partner in the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame awards, was founded in 1992 to mobilize the cable industry's resources to spread awareness and support prevention of HIV/AIDS.