[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 29, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5478-S5479]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING HENRY S. SCHLEIFF, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF COURT TV NETWORK

 Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, on April 1, 2003, Henry 
Schleiff, chairman and CEO of Court TV, was awarded the Cable 
Television Public Affairs Association, CTPAA, President's Award. CTPAA 
is a national organization that focuses on public affairs issues within 
the cable industry. I can think of no better person to be honored with 
this award considering the efforts Mr. Schleiff has put forth to serve 
his industry and the public community.
  His career has featured an impressive array of both private and 
public service. Since his career began with HBO, Mr. Schleiff has moved 
up the ranks of the entertainment industry--from senior vice president 
of business affairs and administration for HBO and head of HBO 
Enterprises in the 1980s, to executive producer for Viacom 
International Inc. and CEO of Viacom's Broadcast and Entertainment 
Groups in the early 1990s, to executive vice-president for Studios USA 
in the late 1990s. Mr. Schleiff has been the CEO of Court TV since 
December 1999 and has been the catalyst for its revival. Under his 
leadership, Court TV has become one of the most successful basic cable 
networks in the industry, growing from 30 million subscribers to nearly 
80 million in just 4 years.
  Equally impressive are Mr. Schleiff's efforts for the public 
community. He is vice chairman of the board of directors for the 
International Radio & Television Society Foundation, Inc. IRTS, and he 
serves on the board of directors of the International Council, The 
Creative Coalition, and Theatreworks. Court TV's Choices and 
Consequences education program, already in more than 100,000 schools, 
encourages children to make responsible decisions and positive 
contributions to society. The ``Everyday Heroes'' program honors brave 
and courageous individuals who made personal sacrifices or significant 
contributions.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of Mr. Schleiff's 
award acceptance speech be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:


[[Page S5479]]


       It is really a great honor to appear this evening with a 
     group of colleagues and friends, who I so admire and respect, 
     because they clearly share our network's vision . . . and, 
     our sense of duty to make a difference in the communities we 
     serve. I accept this year's President's Award with great 
     pride, as a validation of the important work done by our 
     network, Court TV--work that is very much unfinished and 
     ongoing--and, I accept this award with great appreciation on 
     behalf of the extraordinarily dedicated and talented team led 
     by Dick Beahrs and Scoot MacPherson in this area, at Court 
     TV.
       It is, equally, a real privilege to appear with a gathering 
     of probably the most passionate, dedicated and caring people 
     anywhere in the media. I am proud to be a part of an industry 
     like cable that is recognized for its unequaled support for 
     diverse programs and initiatives providing valuable public 
     service outreach. Moreover, the suggestions and new ideas you 
     have shared over the past three days will, no doubt, 
     contribute significantly to our ability to maintain cable's 
     position as both the moral and financial leader, in the field 
     of telecommunications.
       All of us in this room, tonight, know that we don't have to 
     do public service. We don't have to go into neighborhoods and 
     encourage better education, promote health care, or teach 
     tolerance and understanding. Why do we--why do you--
     participate and pursue these causes: quite simply, because 
     you choose to. I have some idea of the sacrifice and effort 
     those here, tonight, make every day, and it is not 
     unreflective of Winston Churchill's observation that ``we 
     make a living by what we get, but we make a life . . . by 
     what we give.'' Those who received this award, in senior 
     management, like myself, do so merely on behalf of those, 
     in the field, like you, who make the real contributions. 
     It is we, who should give this award to you, because it is 
     we who should appreciate and, indeed, should be inspired 
     by what you do.
       We must all recognize that public service is important from 
     a number of perspectives: its impact is felt in both karma 
     and dollars. Indeed, the legacy of the vast array of programs 
     represented here, tonight, will live on long after most, if 
     not all, of the shows and series that can be seen on any 
     given network. I particularly value what people do in this 
     area because, quite frankly, I am a product of the Kennedy 
     60's--I bought the ideal of contribution and, in fact, it has 
     served me well; it has served Court TV well, and hopefully it 
     serves you, because through your efforts, public service puts 
     this industry in the best possible light, especially in these 
     dark and troubled times.
       In a world where we correctly criticize much of what we see 
     on television . . . and in a business where we are struggling 
     with customer service and competition, the one real, 
     indisputable Beacon (no pun intended) of success in every 
     corner . . . and, by any measure, is the diverse and 
     important work that people in Public Affairs do every day. 
     Cable, like any service industry, often gets a black eye. 
     But, because of your words and, more importantly, your deeds, 
     you are the people who ameliorate those complaints and put 
     this industry in the enviable position of being community 
     activists for positive social change.
       Not only is what you do substantively important, but it is 
     also well communicated to our audiences--both viewers of our 
     programming and, more generally, subscribers who live in our 
     communities of service. Oddly enough, the only ones who 
     sometimes have trouble hearing your message and understanding 
     its importance, are, frankly, those often responsible for the 
     purse strings. The irony is that we must all do a better job 
     in communicating the legitimate success and importance of our 
     work not externally, outside our company, but rather, to 
     those in the executive suites. . . . Not only because all of 
     us here, tonight, are on the side of right (and, as we say at 
     Court TV, justice), but also because, in the end, this is 
     also very much in the best economic interests of our 
     companies. We can do well . . . by doing good; we can do 
     ``well'', financially . . . by doing ``good'', morally. In 
     that regard, public affairs efforts are among the most 
     distinctive and beneficial qualities of cable systems and 
     their programming. Why: because you live where the rubber 
     meets the road. You live where the cable operator or cable 
     network meets the customer or viewer, as the case my be . . . 
     you are part and parcel of the communities in which you serve 
     . . . and, given your work, this industry simply could not 
     ask for better representatives.
       We take great pride in our commitment to public service at 
     Court TV, and, especially, the recognition it is receiving 
     tonight, because we have always understood the power of the 
     medium of television--and, the potential for good that a 
     network like ours can play. For example, I recently learned 
     that five-year olds, typically, have watched more than 5,000 
     hours of TV before they even enter kindergarten--in most 
     families, today, that's more time than they have spent in 
     conversation with their parents--and, in all cases, that is, 
     statistically, more hours . . . than it takes to earn a 
     college degree. With our experience in creating quality 
     educational initiatives--and, with the support and 
     partnership of our cable affiliates, we are increasingly 
     focused on harnessing the power of television--both, on 
     and off air--for its use as an effective and engaging 
     public service tool.
       In that regard, allow me to point out some of the recent 
     specific intiatives that Court TV's Public Affairs and 
     Corporate Communications people have introduced or otherwise 
     pursued and which provide me with the privilege of standing 
     here, tonight, on their behalf.
       Principally, you know us for our Golden Beacon Award-
     winning Choices and Consequences education programs, which, 
     in its five year existence, has reached more than 100,000 
     schools with programs designed to keep our nation's youth . . 
     . out of our nation's courts, by teaching young people that a 
     poor choice made in a moment . . . can have devastating 
     consequences . . . for a lifetime. Through Choices and 
     Consequences, we aim to empower our children to make 
     responsible decisions and to contribute, positively, to 
     society. We have added educational programs like the 
     Forensics in the Classroom Curriculum, and the Mobile 
     Investigation Unit tour, which has made stops in 20 cities 
     last year and plans 23 this spring and summer. Tomorrow 
     afternoon, we celebrate the latest group of ``Everyday 
     Heroes,'' honoring those who demonstrate bravery and courage, 
     often through individual acts of personal sacrifice. As you 
     may be aware, an element of education and pro-social causes 
     runs, like a thread, through much of our programming. 
     Certainly, many of our investigative documentaries and 
     specials raise critical issues regarding tolerance, or the 
     fairness of our criminal justice system. This year, for 
     example, we will again focus on Robert F. Kennedy's legacy 
     and the Human Rights Award. And, finally, our original movies 
     attempt to raise important and relevant questions which lead 
     to informed debate about a variety of judicial and social 
     issues.
       The poet Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ``to appreciate beauty, 
     to find the best in others, to leave the world a little 
     better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a 
     redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed 
     easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of 
     success.'' It is in that light, that we at Court TV share 
     with you in your passion, your vision and our mutual goal of 
     bringing about positive change through education and 
     understanding.
       I accept this year's CTPAA President's Award, as a 
     validation of the public affairs work done by Court TV; I 
     accept the President's Award, on behalf of all of you, whose 
     tireless dedication has so contributed to tonight's . . . 
     success; and, finally, I accept this award as a reflection of 
     your values and ideals which are so important to the future 
     of this industry and . . . this nation.

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