Comcast and VH1 Save the Music Foundation donate $60,000 worth of new musical instruments to two Boston Public Schools

The VH1 Save The Music Foundation with the help of Comcast has presented $60,000 worth of new musical instruments to jumpstart music education programs at two Boston Public Schools. The donation is part of the foundation’s efforts to restore $3 million worth of instrumental music programs nationwide throughout the year.

The Higginson Elementary School in Roxbury and the Curley K-8 School in Jamaica Plain each will receive band instruments valued at $30,000, including flutes, clarinets, alto saxophones, trumpets, trombones and percussion instruments.

The donation is part of an ongoing effort by VH1 Save The Music and Comcast to ensure that all students in the Boston Public Schools receive music education as part of their core curriculum. Since 1998, Comcast and VH1 Save The Music Foundation have provided nearly $900,000 worth of new musical instruments to restore music programs in 34 Boston Public Schools.

Dr. Carol R. Johnson, Superintendent of the Boston Public Schools, said, “We are committed to giving every child in Boston access to a high-quality arts education. This generous support from VH1 Save The Music Foundation will certainly enhance our students’ arts experiences and open doors to self discovery.”

In 2007, Dr. Johnson received the “VH1 Save the Music Award,” given by VH1 Save The Music Foundation and the American Association of School Administrators to a school superintendent who has been effective in restoring instrumental music to his or her school district.

“We are pleased to make this investment in the community and to continue our ongoing partnership with the VH1 Save The Music Foundation,” said Steve Hackley, Senior Vice President of Comcast’s Greater Boston Region. “We’re proud to join with teachers, parents and staff who work hard every day to ensure that all students receive the best possible education, and music plays a vital role in that mission.”

“We are excited to continue our collaboration with the Boston Public Schools and Comcast,” said Paul Cothran, Executive Director/Vice President, VH1 Save The Music Foundation. “Together we are investing in America’s future, building towards the day when every student in Boston Public Schools has access to benefits of instrumental music study and ensuring the next generation of innovators and creative thinkers.”

For more information on VH1 Save The Music Foundation, please visit www.vh1savethemusic.com. For more information on Comcast’s commitment to the communities it serves, visit www.comcast.com/community.

About Comcast Corporation

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (http://www.comcast.com) is the nation's leading provider of entertainment, information and communications products and services. With 24.4 million cable customers, 14.7 million high-speed Internet customers and 6.1 million voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.

Comcast's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, The Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, ten Comcast SportsNet networks and Comcast Interactive Media, which develops and operates Comcast's Internet business. Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia.

About the VH1 Save The Music Foundation

Since the VH1 Save The Music Foundation was created in 1997, more than $43 million worth of new musical instruments have been donated to 1,600 public schools in 100 cities, improving the lives of more than 1.2 million children. Now in its eleventh year, the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning VH1 Save The Music Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of education in America’s public schools by restoring music education programs in cities across the U.S. and raising awareness of the importance of music participation for our nation’s youth.

The national partner organizations of VH1 Save The Music include the American Association of School Administrators, the American Music Conference, America’s Promise-The Alliance for Youth, ASCAP Foundation, Chief State School Officers Association, MENC-The National Association for Music Education, NAMM-International Music Products Association, National School Boards Association and the U.S. Department of Education.

VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in nearly 90 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital services including VH1 Classic and VH1 Soul. Connect with VH1 at www.VH1.com. VH1 is a registered trademark of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom International Inc. MTV Networks also operates and offers joint ventures, licensing agreements and syndication deals whereby its programming can be seen worldwide.

# # #

Contacts:
Communications Office / Boston Public Schools
617-635-9265

Nyle Washington/VH1
212-846-5576

Marc Goodman/Comcast
617-279-7521