LAS VEGAS, Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Cox Business / Hospitality Network, the leading provider of in-room guest video and data technology services to the hotel-gaming industry, today announced its support of the Muscular Dystrophy Association's 2010 Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon. The company is providing a 100 Mbps wired and wireless Internet connection for administrative and production staff of the annual Labor Day broadcast originating in Las Vegas on Sept. 5/6 from the South Coast Hotel and Casino. The retail value of the donated Internet services totals $90,000.

"We've been providing Internet connectivity to the MDA Telethon for the last five years," noted Mike Bolognini, vice president of Cox Business and Hospitality Network in Las Vegas. "Support of children and families is very much in alignment with our existing corporate values, and knowing that we can help 'Jerry's Kids' in this way makes us feel very good about being a technology provider."

During the 21.5-hour Telethon, MDA staff will be using wired and wireless Internet from the Advanced Convention Services segment of Cox Business / Hospitality Network to communicate with the more than 170 television stations that constitute the Telethon's "Love Network." In addition, MDA staff will transmit photos and press materials to over 1,000 broadcast and print media across the country using the company's powerful Internet connection and flexible telecommunications infrastructure.

"Live television is full of surprises," said Telethon Producer Lee Miller. "We rely on Cox Communications because our real-time dialogue challenge gets multiplied by a factor exceeding 170, since that many television and cable stations across the country need to stay in constant contact with our production team."

Support of youth and education programs is the cornerstone of community outreach at Cox Communications. The company is a founding member of Cable in the Classroom, a national non-profit organization that provides commercial-free TV programming and online resources to students, teachers and administrators in 71,000 public and private schools. Schools in Cox systems receive free cable programming along with other in-kind services and direct cash contributions that total millions of dollars annually. Cox's total national in-kind and direct cash contributions exceed $100 million annually, with a community outreach focus on youth and education initiatives.

The 2010 MDA Telethon will be broadcast live from South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas Labor Day weekend.  The show will begin Sunday, Sept. 5th at 9 pm EDT/6 pm PDT and conclude on Monday, Sept. 6th at 6:30 pm EDT/3:30 pm PDT.

About the Muscular Dystrophy Association

MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research. The Association also provides comprehensive health care and support services, advocacy and education. Funded almost entirely by individual private contributors, MDA is the first nonprofit organization to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Medical Association ("for significant and lasting contributions to the health and welfare of humanity").

About Cox Communications

Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet, telephone and wireless services over its own nationwide IP network. The third-largest U.S. cable TV company, Cox serves more than 6 million residences and businesses. Cox Business is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers, and Cox Media is a full-service provider of national and local cable spot and new media advertising.

Cox is known for its pioneering efforts in cable telephone and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For seven years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women by Women in Cable Telecommunications; for five years, Cox has ranked among DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity, and the company holds a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com and www.coxmedia.com.

SOURCE Cox Communications