Boys & Girls Clubs of America and PTA Launch Digital Video Service for
Families
New Online Video Stores Powered by HP
PALO ALTO, Calif. (Business Wire EON/PRWEB ) May 21, 2008 --
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
(BGCA) and Parent Teacher Association
(PTA) in conjunction with HP (NYSE:HPQ)
today launched a first-of-its-kind national digital video service
program that allows families to access and purchase age-appropriate
digital content in a safe and secure online environment.
Created and managed by Harmony Digital Media Consortium with the support
of the Motion Picture Association of
America (MPAA), this initiative encourages families to make informed
media choices by serving as a tool for parents to help them manage their
children’s exposure to electronic media.
Additionally, the program helps raise funds for two child-focused
non-profit organizations, BGCA, which serves 4.8 million youth through
club membership and community outreach, and PTA with more than 5.5
million members.
“Boys & Girls Clubs of America provides a
safe place for young people to learn and grow, helping them develop into
caring, responsible citizens,” said Cyndi
Court, senior vice president, Resource Development, Boys & Girls Clubs
of America. “This program extends our vision
by providing a secure environment for youth to enjoy entertainment that
is appropriate for them, while raising funds for important programs that
benefit youth in cities across the country.”
One of BGCA’s programs to benefit from this
collaboration is the Family PLUS (Parents Leading, Uniting, Serving)
initiative, which serves as a model for Boys & Girls Clubs wanting to
implement family support activities into their programming.
The digital video service program also supports PTA’s
mission, which is to help children reach their full potential by
providing tools for parents to get involved and manage their children’s
health, education and safety.
“As the largest volunteer child advocacy
organization in the country, PTA believes that it is the responsibility
of parents, teachers and caregivers to influence children’s
exposure to electronic media,” said Jan Harp
Domene, national president, PTA. “The
resources offered through this program help parents fulfill this
responsibility by bringing educational and age-appropriate entertainment
and technology to children and families.”
Beginning today, consumers can browse and purchase content on one of the
two online video stores powered by HP – www.ptavideostore.com
and www.bgcavideostore.com.
Video gift cards also are available on these sites.
BGCA cards will also be available at Circuit City stores nationwide and
PTA video gift cards will be available at Office Depot stores nationwide
later this year. Additionally, this program will be available as a
fundraising tool for local PTA units beginning in the fall. Proceeds
from the purchases on these sites will support the child-focused work
undertaken by both organizations.
Gift cards can be redeemed at one of the two online video stores.
Collectively, these sites offer more than 10,000 movie and TV titles
from all major studios, including all MPAA member companies and most
independent studios, as well as numerous specialty content providers.
Movie titles include Alvin & The Chipmunks, Bee Movie, Enchanted,
Nancy Drew and National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets; TV
titles include Avatar: Last Airbender Book 3: Fire Volume, Sponge
Bob Square Pants: Pest of the West and Speed Racer the Next
Generation: The Beginning.
In addition to age-appropriate TV titles, the BGCA online video store
will carry movie titles with a G or PG rating from the MPAA. The PTA
video store also will offer movies rated PG-13 by the MPAA. Movie and TV
titles will be offered in a variety of formats, including DVD, Blu-ray
and as digital downloads.
With a variety of appropriate G, PG and PG-13 titles available, the
video gift card program is supported by the MPAA, which, through the
film ratings system, plays an important role in providing information to
parents about the content of films so that they can make informed
viewing decisions for their children.
“For 40 years, the MPAA’s
film ratings system has helped millions of parents make informed
decisions about appropriate film content for their children,”
said Joan Graves, chairman, Classification and Ratings Administration,
Motion Picture Association of America. “This
effort further arms parents with the information they need to make more
educated choices for their children.”
Development of the online video stores for this fundraising program is
made possible through HP Digital
Content Services, which created a platform that enables consumers to
acquire video content in various forms, such as digital downloads,
traditional-packaged DVDs and Blu-ray discs.
“HP is providing the technological backbone
of a program that offers digital content, such as movies and TV shows,
in both familiar and emerging formats for the whole family to enjoy,”
said Willem de Zoete, vice president and general manager, Digital
Content Services, HP. “This program provides
busy parents with a simple, secure solution for ordering age-appropriate
video entertainment, while also benefiting the child-focused missions of
these important nonprofit organizations.”
About HP
HP focuses on simplifying technology experiences for all of its
customers – from individual consumers to the
largest businesses. With a portfolio that spans printing, personal
computing, software, services and IT infrastructure, HP is among the
world’s largest IT companies, with revenue
totaling $110.4 billion for the four fiscal quarters ended April 30,
2008. More information about HP is available at www.hp.com.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org)
has been changing and saving young lives, providing hope and opportunity
for kids who need them most. Today, some 4,300 Clubs serve some 4.8
million young people through Club membership and community outreach.
Known as The Positive Place for Kids, Boys & Girls Clubs can be found
all across the country and on U.S. military bases throughout the world.
Clubs provide young people 6-18 years old with guidance-oriented
character development programs conducted by trained, professional staff.
In communities large and small, Clubs positively impact lives and help
young people reach their full potential as productive, caring citizens.
Key Boys & Girls Club programs emphasize leadership development;
education and career exploration, community service; financial literacy;
health and life skills; the arts; sports, fitness and recreation; and
family outreach. In a recent Harris Survey of Club alumni, 57 percent
said the Club saved their life. National headquarters is located in
Atlanta.
About PTA
PTA comprises more than 5 million parents and other concerned adults
devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of
parent involvement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization that prides itself on being a powerful voice for children,
a relevant resource for parents, and a strong advocate for public
education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who is concerned about
the education, health and welfare of children and youth.
About Harmony Digital Media Consortium
Harmony Digital Media Consortium develops fundraising initiatives in
support of the strategic objectives of its nonprofit partner
organizations. Harmony members include educators, technologists and
media executives focused on creating useful new tools for families
confronting both the great potential and challenges of the digital age.
© 2008 Hewlett-Packard Development Company,
L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without
notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth
in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and
services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an
additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial
errors or omissions contained herein.
MULTIMEDIA GALLERY http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=5690588
See the original story at: http://eon.businesswire.com/releases/digital/video/prweb962544.htm
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