WCVB Channel 5 Marks 50 Years as Boston’s Community Leader With Launch of “Fifty Years Fund” Powered by United Way

BOSTON – As part of WCVB Channel 5’s year-long celebration marking 50 years as Boston’s news and community leader, the station will commemorate the special occasion with the Fifty Years Fund. This important initiative will reinforce the station’s commitment to community service since its inception in 1972 and will highlight the generosity of its loyal viewers.

In partnership with the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, the fund will align with the primary objectives of the United Way and with a focus on what has clearly become the issue of our generation – systemic change in the areas of social and economic justice. With input from the employees of WCVB, the focus was narrowed to supporting the next generation of youth to ensure they have access to achieving their educational and career goals.

The campaign will debut on Thursday, May 19th with a daylong telethon, as well on-air appeals during the spring and summer months, with an ultimate fundraising goal of at least $500,000. It will culminate in the fall with the granting of five gifts of at least $100,000 each to significantly advance the work of organizations doing exemplary work in our cities and towns. WCVB’s parent company, Hearst Television, has already committed a $50,000 donation to kick-off the campaign.

“Fifty years ago, the founders of WCVB made the bold statement that no television station that came before, or any that would come after it, would serve the community in a more meaningful way than Channel 5. In that spirit, we couldn’t think of a better way to mark this very special milestone than joining forces with our longtime community partner, the United Way, to give back to the communities we serve through the inception of the 50 Years Fund,” said Kyle I. Grimes, WCVB President and General Manager.

“WCVB continues to be an amazing partner to United Way, bringing incredible exposure to our work and the key issues impacting our region, while also informing the public as to how they can get involved and help make a difference,” said Bob Giannino, President and CEO at United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley. “We are proud to have had the support and expertise of WCVB leaders on our boards and committees over the years and we are thrilled to join in this event, raising funds to support youth development and celebrating 50 years of WCVB giving back to the Greater Boston area.”

“Whenever WCVB has issued a call for support for those in need through various community initiatives over the years, whether here in our own backyard or halfway across the world, the response from our generous and loyal viewers has been overwhelming and it highlights the unlimited potential we unlock when we come together as a community for a common cause,” continued Grimes.

WCVB’s 50 Years Fund telethon will kick off during Thursday’s EyeOpener 6AM newscast and will continue with updates throughout the day. It will conclude at 8PM following Chronicle. Donations can be made by calling 781-433-4009, by visiting: wcvb.com/50YearsFund or by texting the keyword WCVB50 to the number 41444.

Additional initiatives and special programming will be announced throughout the year as the celebration of WCVB’s 50^th year continues.

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About United Way of Massachusetts Bay
United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley is a leading civic engagement organization dedicated to responding to our region’s most pressing issues like housing stability, economic mobility, healthy child development and educational success. We listen and work with communities to identify areas of greatest need and innovative approaches to address them, and then mobilize donors and corporate partners to provide resources to create positive lasting change. We have a vision and a mandate to empower stronger, more equitable communities, and we have the scale and reach to help. Our deep partnerships with hundreds of nonprofit organizations, state and municipal leaders, and businesses make us the region’s go-to mobilizer to address urgent needs and activate comprehensive, long-term solutions. More information is available at www.unitedwaymassbay.org.  Follow us @unitedwaymabay and #LiveUnited.

About WCVB Channel 5
WCVB is Boston’s broadcast/digital media leader, providing news, weather, sports, community service and entertainment on multiple platforms including WCVB Channel 5, wcvb.com, WCVB mobile and MeTV Boston. Founded by community leaders in 1972, WCVB is committed to its mission to serve the region with quality local content. In addition to 47 hours of NewsCenter 5 coverage each week, original offerings include Chronicle, the nation’s longest running local news magazine; CityLine, a weekly urban magazine program; and On The Record, a weekly political roundtable. The station has been honored with numerous prestigious national broadcasting honors including the RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards for “Best Newscast” and National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation’s “Service to the Community” award.  Additional top honors include the National Headliner Awards, Gracie Awards, Gabriel Awards, the regional Emmy’s, Associated Press Awards, Walter Cronkite Award, and duPont Awards. WCVB, Boston’s ABC affiliate station, is owned by Hearst Television, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst, a leading media company whose global holdings include 33 television stations and two radio stations.  Follow us on Facebook (wcvb5) and Twitter (@wcvb).

About Hearst Television
Hearst Television owns and operates 33 television and two radio stations serving 26 media markets across 39 states reaching over 22 million U.S. television households. Through its partnership with nearly all of the major networks, Hearst Television distributes national content over nearly 70 video channels including programming from ABC, NBC, CBS, CW, MY Net, MeTV, Estrella and more. The radio stations are leaders in Baltimore news/talk and rock music listenership. Its Hearst Media Production Group unit produces original programing across linear and streaming platforms for domestic and international distribution.  Its Very Local app, free to download on household OTT devices and available across popular streaming services, offers 24/7 access to local news, weather and an array of local and regional programming.  Hearst Television is recognized as one of the industry’s premier companies and has been honored with numerous awards for distinguished journalism, industry innovation, and community service. Hearst Television is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hearst.