Local Media Companies Honor Bay Area's Community Leaders As "Hometown Heroes" At 5th Annual Ceremony

OAKLAND, Calif., March 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Local media companies Comcast (http://comcastcalifornia.mediaroom.com) and the Bay Area News Group (B.A.N.G.) (http://www.bayareanewsgroup.com) today honored 27 Bay Area residents for making a positive impact in their communities at the 5th Annual Hometown Heroes ceremony.  The individuals who were saluted (complete list below) have been named "Hometown Heroes" (http://www.insidebayarea.com/hometownheroes) by the two companies for making a difference in their cities and beyond, and were honored before an audience of former Hometown Heroes, community leaders, elected officials, special guests and their families. Marking a 5^th year milestone, the Hometown Heroes program has recognized 122 individuals and their worthy causes and organizations. 

Downloadable broadcast-quality B-roll video footage of the honorees and the ceremony is available at: 

http://comcastcalifornia.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=98

"Comcast California is proud to partner with the Bay Area News Group in honoring our neighbors – the true heroes of our diverse communities," said Hank Fore, Regional Senior Vice President of Comcast California. "These citizens have shown their commitment to bettering the cities we live and work in, and we are humbled to acknowledge their well-deserved recognition."

"We are always gratified by the positive response from readers and viewers who recognize the personal passion of these Hometown Heroes," said Katherine Rowlands, East Bay Metro Editor for Bay Area News Group. "We know that these stories about volunteers resonate with our audience. And it's a bonus to get new ideas from our readers and Comcast viewers for future Hometown Heroes who we can profile. This project has struck a chord with the communities we serve."

The Hometown Heroes event was held from 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Rotunda located at 300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza in Oakland.  Elected officials were also on hand to present proclamations to the honorees, as well as tape video segments for Comcast's public affairs program, "Comcast Newsmakers" (http://comcastnewsmakers.tv/) and Comcast Hometown Network's newscast, "Upside (http://www.comcasthometown.com/)."  Special remarks were also given by Katherine Rowlands, East Bay Metro Editor for the Bay Area News Group and Hank Fore, Regional Senior Vice President, Comcast California. 

The "Hometown Heroes" partnership aims to highlight people in the community who are remarkable individuals, encourage volunteerism, and raise the visibility of local nonprofits and key causes. In its fifth year, the "Hometown Heroes" partnership between the two media companies is designed to recognize individuals in the Bay Area that are making a positive impact in their community, yet go unrecognized.  Every other Monday, all of the B.A.N.G. publications (with the exception of the Mercury News and the Marin Independent Journal) publish a feature article on a "Hometown Hero" and their community efforts, and also encourage the publication's readers to learn more about the Hero by viewing video segments via Comcast's On Demand platform.  To learn more about the honorees in your area, visit the Hometown Heroes website at http://www.insidebayarea.com/hometownheroes.

About Bay Area News Group

Bay Area News Group is powered by MediaNews Group (www.medianewsgroup.com), one of the largest newspaper companies in the United States situated throughout California, the Rocky Mountain region and the Northwest. We are privately owned and operate nearly 60 daily newspapers in 13 states with combined daily and Sunday circulation of approximately 2.6 million and 2.9 million, respectively. The Bay Area News Group (B.A.N.G.) serves more than 1.9 million print readers daily in the nation's fifth-largest DMA and an on-line audience of 5.3 million unique visitors on a monthly basis.  Publications include:  Alameda Times Star, Contra Costa Times, East County Times, Fremont Argus, Hayward Daily Review, Marin Independent Journal, Oakland Tribune, San Mateo County Times, San Jose Mercury News, Tri-Valley Times and West County Times. 

About Comcast Corporation

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal.  Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses.  NBCUniversal operates 30 news and entertainment cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts.  Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

Comcast's California Region, based in Livermore, California, serves more than 2.3 million customers in Northern and Central California.  Comcast employs more than 5,500 local residents across the region.

SOURCE Comcast