First Nations President on “Comcast Newsmakers” TV Program

First Nations President Michael Roberts Featured on “Comcast Newsmakers” TV Program

LONGMONT, Colorado (Nov. 1, 2013) – Michael Roberts, president of First Nations Development Institute (First Nations), is one of the featured interview guests during November 2013 on the “Comcast Newsmakers” program that will be cablecast at various times during the month. The program appears on the Comcast/Xfinity cable TV service in Comcast’s service areas of Denver and Colorado Springs.

The interview, which was recorded in Denver in October, also is available on First Nations’ YouTube Channel at this link, and can be found on First Nations’ website on the “Why Us” page.

In the program, Roberts is interviewed by host Beverly Weaver about current perceptions and misconceptions of American Indians, and about First Nations’ work in boosting the economies of Native American communities across the country.  Economically, Roberts notes, there are some “great things going on in Indian Country.”

Also, from mid-November through mid-December, Comcast/Xfinity will be airing two new public service announcements (PSAs) from First Nations. The TV spots will appear on various Comcast channels in 13 market areas across the U.S. Those markets are:

• Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Baltimore, Maryland
• Boston, Massachusetts
• Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Denver, Colorado
• Houston, Texas
• Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota
• Northern New Jersey
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Rockville, Maryland
• San Francisco, California
• Seattle, Washington
• Washington, D.C.

The PSAs also can be viewed at this link.

The Comcast Foundation and Comcast provided First Nations with a $20,000 grant to produce the PSAs, plus $1 million worth of airtime to broadcast them.

About First Nations Development Institute

For more than 30 years, using a three-pronged strategy of educating grassroots practitioners, advocating for systemic change, and capitalizing Indian communities, First Nations has been working to restore Native American control and culturally-compatible stewardship of the assets they own – be they land, human potential, cultural heritage, or natural resources – and to establish new assets for ensuring the long-term vitality of Native American communities.  First Nations serves Native American communities throughout the United States. For more information, visitwww.firstnations.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Randy Blauvelt, First Nations Senior Communications Officer
(303) 774-7836 or rblauvelt@firstnations.org