Elesha Barnette

March 02, 2011 | Technology

Time Warner Cable, Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network Give Black Women Time to Shine

Are you the next Oprah? Perhaps Robin Roberts? Sherri Shepherd or Soledad O’Brien? If so, Time Warner Cable is looking for you.

Time Warner Cable (TWC), the second-largest cable operator in the U.S., and the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network (WEEN), a global non-profit coalition committed to supporting, promoting and defending the balanced, positive portrayal of women in entertainment and society, are joining forces to create a unique opportunity for aspiring African American female talk show hosts and commentators.

On February 28, TWC announced the launch of “Born to Shine,” a multi-platform marketing campaign meant to showcase African Americans and the impact they have on the entertainment industry. The initiative is being launched with a contest to identify four aspiring television personalities to host a “Born to Shine” talk show series.

Each of the winners will host an individual episode featuring African Americans who are paving the way in areas of pop culture, television, film, sports, music and the community. The guests will share their lessons learned and success stories. The idea is to enable the winners to inspire viewers at home and to also strive for success and to pursue their own personal goals.

Senior Director of Segment Marketing for TWC, Marisol Martínez de Rodríguez had this to say of the upcoming campaign:

“Born to Shine is a reflection of Time Warner Cable’s commitment to provide African American consumers with inspiring and quality entertainment that represents their vibrant and diverse stories. The campaign will run throughout the year and provide a host of opportunities for members of the community to connect with our brand and others who share a passion for entertainment. We’re excited that this program empowers individuals to pursue their goals and actualize why they were born to shine.”

This campaign comes at a particularly tough time for minorities in the media and entertainment fields. Studies show minority television ownership has decreased by 50% since 1999. Minority radio ownership has declined by 9% just within the last three years. Minority wireless and cable system ownership levels are near zero, and minority radio journalism employment has plummeted to less than 1%, a level not seen since 1950. In this climate where minorities are continually overlooked and under-represented in the media, the “Born to Shine” campaign is a grand opportunity.

“Our partnership with Time Warner Cable and the ‘Born to Shine’ program enables us to bring a unique and meaningful opportunity to the community and those who want to make an impact in entertainment,” said Valeisha Butterfield, WEEN Co-founder and Chairman.

Hopefully other corporations, broadband providers and networks will follow suit and give many more under-represented voices and communities the chance to shine.

To enter the “Born to Shine” Contest, interested parties only need upload a three-minute audition video to the “Born to Shine” Facebook page beginning March 7 through April 30. Online submissions will be voted on by Facebook fans and judged by industry insiders and Time Warner Cable executives.

Participants can also enter the contest by auditioning at live casting call events in Charlotte, N.C. and New York City before a panel of judges to include celebrities, industry executives and Time Warner Cable executives.

The four winners will be determined from a select pool of online and live casting call auditions in May and the series will available on Time Warner Cable On Demand fall 2011.

Director of Media Relations @Politic365 ; Multi-Media Strategist & Content Producer--- Prior to joining Politic365, Elesha Barnette spent nine years with Procter & Gamble. Elesha has a rich, diverse background in sales analytics as well as merchandising & marketing of Fortune 500 brands. In addition to her experiences in business development, Elesha has also run a freelance media production company that develops stories for screen. Elesha has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill in Communications/Media Production.

6 Responses to Time Warner Cable, Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network Give Black Women Time to Shine

@CrystalBlog says:

6:50pm March 2, 2011 at 6:50 pm

Time Warner Involved in Massive Shareholder Fraud over Stealing Video Technology Invention http://www.investigativejournalist.net/2011/02/op…

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guest says:

8:10pm March 2, 2011 at 8:10 pm

Programs that highlight the potential and the accomplishments of any underrepresented (and thus often misrepresented) community is good. Diversity in media ownership and diversity in programming benefit the population as a whole by exposing the general public to differing perspectives and broadening our cultural understanding.

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LouisFarrakan says:

7:00am March 22, 2011 at 7:00 am

Racist contest, lines get erased, and here you are drawing the lines again. Stop promoting racist agendas.

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bean dip says:

2:54am April 24, 2011 at 2:54 am

This is a totally racist contest, its a contest that highlights a race, and its contest focuses on the race aspect…. wow america

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