Date: Wed, 15 Oct 1997 14:54:49 -0700 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAAD FAIRNESS AWARDS HONOR SHOWTIME CHAIRMAN & CEO MATTHEW C. BLANK AND AMFAR CHAIR DR. MATHILDE KRIM MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Liz Tracey, (212) 807-1700 pgr.: (800) 946-4646, pin# 1423527 e-mail: tracey@glaad.org GLAAD FAIRNESS AWARDS HONOR SHOWTIME CHAIRMAN & CEO MATTHEW C. BLANK AND AMFAR CHAIR DR. MATHILDE KRIM NEW YORK, OCTOBER 15, 1997-The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) will present the second annual GLAAD Fairness Awards to Matthew C. Blank, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Showtime Networks Inc., and Dr. Mathilde Krim, Founding Co-Chair and Chairman of the Board for the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR). The Fairness Awards luncheon will be held at noon on October 30 at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center. GLAAD presents the Fairness Awards to individuals and institutions that demonstrate exemplary leadership in combating discrimination based on sexual orientation through programs of education, communications and civil rights protection. "GLAAD is honoring two individuals who have made such enormous contributions to the struggle for equality through visibility," said Joan M. Garry, Executive Director of GLAAD. "From the very beginning of the epidemic, Dr. Krim's work in AIDS research has also focused on fighting ignorance through education. And Matthew Blank has worked tirelessly to make Showtime a model company for inclusive employee policies, including organizational affinity groups and domestic partnership." Prior to his position as Chairman and CEO of Showtime Networks, Matthew C. Blank most recently served as President and Chief Operating Officer. Before joining Showtime in 1988, Mr. Blank had been with Home Box Office, Inc. for 12 years. He has received the cable industry's prestigious Vanguard Award for Marketing, and the 1991 CTAM Chairman's Award, and serves on the boards of Comedy Central, Sundance Channel and Phoenix Pictures. He is also a member of the Executive Board of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, a trustee of the Rheedlen Centers for Children and Families and a board member of the National Association of Minorities in Cable (NAMIC). Mathilde Krim, Ph.D. founded the AIDS Medical Foundation (AMF) in 1983, in response to what was then a new disease with grave consequences, both medical and social. In 1985, AMF became what is now known globally as AmFAR, the preeminent, national non-profit organization devoted to mobilizing the public's generosity in support of basic biomedical and clinical AIDS research, AIDS prevention and the development of sound, AIDS-related public policies. Previous to her work at AmFAR, Dr. Krim was the Director of the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research's Interferon Laboratories from 1981 to 1985, and was a research scientist at the Center from 1962 until 1981. She currently holds the academic appointment of Adjunct Professor of Public Health and Management, School of Public Health, Columbia University. Last year's recipients of the GLAAD Fairness awards were Home Box Office's Sheila Nevins, and the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. The Second Annual Fairness Awards luncheon will be held on Thursday, October 30, 1997 from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. at the Rainbow Room, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York City. Tickets are $300 and $500 (for preferred seating and a program listing) and are $3,000 for tables of 10 and $5,000 for corporate sponsors (both include a program listing plus an ad for corporate sponsors). For ticket information and table sponsorship, please contact Jason Burlingame at (212) 807-1700. GLAAD is a national organization that promotes fair, accurate and inclusive representations of individuals and events in all media as a means of combating homophobia and all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity. -30- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) glaad@glaad.org TO REPORT DEFAMATION IN THE MEDIA - Call GLAAD's Alertline at 1.800.GAY.MEDIA or go to the GLAAD Web Site at www.glaad.org and report through our Alertline Online. 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