Above: Governor Phil Bryant and Director Tate Taylor speak with press following the announcement that NBC Universal will film a movie about life of James Brown in Mississippi beginning this Fall. 

JACKSON – Gov. Phil Bryant, film director Tate Taylor and state officials announced today that an upcoming movie by Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment on the life of musician James Brown will be filmed in Mississippi.

Mississippi native Taylor, director and screenwriter of The Help, which was also filmed in Mississippi, will helm the James Brown project for Universal. The movie is currently untitled.

“This announcement is very exciting news for our state. I am proud Universal Studios has chosen to shoot this film in Mississippi, and I am even more proud that Mississippi’s own Tate Taylor will be the mastermind behind it,” Gov. Bryant said. “Under Tate’s direction, The Help and its cast went on to win numerous awards, and it was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. I have no doubt his creative spirit will once again deliver a top-quality film.”

“Not only am I excited to bring such economic stimulus to my state, but also to showcase our beautiful Mississippi to the world,” said Taylor. “Every nook and cranny of our state is visually unique in its own way, and as Mississippi was an undeniable character in The Help, it will be even more so in this film about James Brown. With continued hard work by all Mississippians, I foresee many productions planting a flag here in the future.”

Filming of the James Brown project is scheduled to take place in Jackson and Natchez this fall over a 60-day period, with an additional 10-14 weeks of pre- and post-production. The producers have committed to working with the state’s WIN Job Centers to hire extras and qualified crew members.

Figures from the Mississippi Film Office, part of the Mississippi Development Authority’s Tourism Division, show Mississippians received more than $1.3 million in wages during the filming of The Help. Additionally, nearly $7.2 million was spent in the state on the film’s production. The overall estimated economic impact from the film was $18 million – $20 million.

“In addition to the excitement an announcement such as this generates, I am equally as excited for the jobs and economic impact a project of this magnitude will have on our state’s communities,” said MDA Executive Director Brent Christensen. “Cast, crew and extras eat in local restaurants and shop in local stores. They stay in hotels and rent houses and apartments and cars. Much like The Help, this film will help spur economic growth in our local communities and will once again position Mississippi as a prime location for filmmaking.”

Additional details regarding the James Brown project will be forthcoming as they are made available. In the meantime, to learn more about the Mississippi Film Office, available film incentives offered by the state and more, please visit www.filmMississippi.org .

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The Mississippi Film Office, part of the Mississippi Development Authority’s Tourism Division, has been an integral part of the state’s economic development and tourism efforts since 1973. In addition to recruiting film projects to the state, the film office provides location scouting, logistical guidance, and research services. Through grants and other support, the film office sponsors film festivals and educational seminars, both in state and out of state. The Mississippi Film Incentive program is one of the most competitive in the country.

August 12, 2013 (Jackson, Miss.) - Mississippi Cable Telecommunications Association recently sponsored a National 811 Day run/walk hosted by the Mississippi Damage Prevention Council. The event was designed to bring awareness to the importance of calling 811. 

Public Service Commissioner Lynn Posey said "National 811 Day is a reminder to citizens to obey the law and take precaution by calling 811 prior to any digging project. I encourage the community to take part in the race this Saturday and help educate others about the 811 law." 

Mississippians are connected to a local call center when calling 811. 811 notifies appropriate utility companies of the intent to dig. Professional locators are then sent to the requested site to mark the appropriate locations of underground lines using flags and spray paint. For more information on MS 811 and safe digging practices, visit www.ms811.org. 

August 8, 2013 – Phoenix, AZ – Cable ONE was recently named 2013 Independent Operator of the Year by Cable FAX Magazine. 

Presented annually by Cable FAX Magazine and sponsored by the American Cable Association and the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC), this honor recognizes an ACA/NCTC independent cable operator that has distinguished itself by exemplifying excellence in service, sales, marketing, community service, and industry advocacy.

“We want to thank all 2,100 of our associates for their dedication and commitment to Cable ONE and the communities we serve,” said Cable ONE President and Chief Executive Officer, Tom Might.  “Our continued success is a testament to the work they do day in and day out to serve our customers.“

Cable ONE has had a busy 12 months, starting with an investment of nearly $60 million in an infrastructure upgrade which will provide Cable ONE customers with enhanced speed, reliability, and quality in their Internet, cable, and phone service.  The project, which began in 2012 and will continue through 2014, will impact the majority of Cable ONE’s 42 markets.

“We’re committed to delivering the best possible experience to our customers,” Might said.  “We’re confident that this investment will ensure that our customers will receive superior service in the speed, reliability, and the overall performance of our services.”

Cable ONE’s continued focus on delivering outstanding service to its customers led to a recent ranking by PC Magazine, which named the company as one of the top 10 fastest Internet Service Providers (ISP) in the nation.

Earlier this year, the company backed its belief in the quality and reliability of its services with the implementation of a 30-day money back satisfaction guarantee for new and existing customers who subscribe to any new service with Cable ONE.

“We believe strongly in the reliability of our products and services and we’re committed to providing our customers with cutting-edge technology and on-going enhancements,” said Joe Felbab, Cable ONE Vice President of Marketing. 

Cable ONE is also responding to customer demand for increased programming content online with its launch of TV Everywhere, which allows customers to stream their favorite shows and movies from their computer, tablet, or smart phone; and ESPN3 for sports fans who subscribe to Cable ONE high speed Internet service.  

This fall, Cable ONE will begin offering TiVo, based on feedback from customers.

“TiVo will allow our customers to get the best of TV and the web in one amazing service,” Felbab said. “It will provide our customers the opportunity to personalize their whole home-home entertainment experience.”

For more information, call (602) 364-6372.

About Cable ONE

Serving 730,000 customers in 19 states with high speed Internet, cable television, and telephone service, Cable ONE provides consumers a wide range of the latest products and services, including wireless Internet service, High-Definition programming, and phone service with free, unlimited long distance calling in the continental U.S.

CONTACT:

Trish Niemann

Cable ONE Public Relations Manager

602.364.6372

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Comcast recently announced the launch of its new X1 video platform.  Over the past several years, Comcast has invested $1.6 billion in technology and infrastructure to meet customers’ needs by delivering quality products and services.

Using cloud-enabled technologies, the X1 Platform offers a completely new and more personalized TV experience that provides access to Comcast’s massive library of live and on-demand video presented with a new, much more graphically pleasing on-screen guide along with popular apps like Facebook and Pandora. 

The new DVR-enabled X1 boxes enable customers to record four shows and watch a fifth at the same time using  AnyRoom® DVR service.   With AnyRoom® DVR service customers can watch recorded shows in any room, start watching a recording in one room and then finish in another, or even have different recordings play in different rooms at the same time.    

X1 features include:

·         A main screen with a new, easy-to-read and -search guide and interface that enables fast, one-click access to a variety of video content and allows customers to access a host of information about the programs they’re watching and related programming;

·         The ability to search TV listings, DVR recordings, and Xfinity On Demand for content simultaneously;

·         Weather, sports and real-time traffic apps, all specially designed and scaled for use on a TV screen (X1 DVR boxes also include Pandora and Facebook apps);

·         An enhanced remote control for the X1 DVR box that’s highly responsive and does not have to be pointed straight at the box to work; and

·         The ability to display the highest resolution supported by many new TVs, 1080P at 60 frames per second.

 “X1 truly makes the TV experience smarter, more powerful and more personalized than ever before,” said Comcast’s Regional Vice President of Marketing for Tennessee, Kerry McKelvey.  “This new cloud-based platform gives us the flexibility to continually provide our customers with the newest technology and deliver the best entertainment experience available anywhere today.”

X1 Remote app lets customers control X1 via motions, gestures, and voice control

The new companion X1 Remote app (available for free for the iPhone and iPod Touch devices via the iOS app store), lets customers use motions, gestures and voice commands to control the X1.  For example, customers can actually swipe their iPhones or iPod Touches to page through the interactive TV guides and program personalized short-cuts and favorites (“Quick Links”).  They can also shake their devices to pause On Demand content and even use voice commands to navigate the guide and search for content.  

In addition, X1 lets customers search through tens of thousands of programming choices using either their iPhones’ or iPod Touches’ virtual keyboards, or they can simply say into these devices, “Show me all action movies on HBO.”  The app also has the ability to filter content by genre, whether it’s offered in high-definition, and other criteria, as well as control the DVR and interact with X1’s social media tools and apps.

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(WREG, Memphis) The 44 recipients of the 2013 Leaders and Achievers Scholarship were recognized at a luncheon recently at the Pink Palace Mansion and Museum.

Comcast’s scholarship program provides one-time, $1,000 scholarships to students “who strive to achieve their potential, who are catalysts for positive change in their communities, who are involved in their schools, and who serve as models for their fellow students.

More than 19,000 students have received scholarships since the program’s inception.

Students receiving awards this year from Mississippi:

Mississippi:

Shameika Taylor – Byhalia High, Byhalia
Christopher Echols – HW Byers High, Holly Springs
Maria Riley – Lake Cormorant High, Lake Cormorant
Meghan Galtelli – Lewisburg High, Olive Branch
Melissa Dollar – Center Hill High, Olive Branch
Lakadrian Webb – North Panola High, Sardis
William Newman – Senatobia High, Senatobia
Rachel Parbs – Southaven High, Southaven
Abigal Johnson – Southern Baptist Education Center, Southaven
Desiree Robinson – Rosa Fort High, Tunica

To watch the video, visit: 
http://wreg.com/2013/07/16/comcast-to-present-scholarships-to-44-memphis-area-students/

George King, General Manager of SuddenLink in Greenville/Greenwood recently made several important stops visiting with elected officials in the Mississippi Delta. 

Pictured L to R: George King, MCTA Board Member & General Manager of Sudden Link;
Mayor of Greenville John Cox

Pictured L to R: Chairman Buck Clarke, Senate Appropriations Committee;
George King, MCTA Board Member & General Manager of SuddenLink Communications in Greenville/Greenwood