The Heroes Project, the largest nongovernmental public service campaign in India and Star India, the leading television network in India, have announced a two-year extension of their HIV/AIDS stigma reduction and prevention campaign. The Heroes Project has been instrumental in mainstreaming HIV/AIDS messaging in the country. The extension of the campaign through 2009 will provide the Project with $9.26 million worth of airtime bringing Star India’s five-year commitment to a total of $23.16 million. The announcement was made recently at the 16th International AIDS Conference.
Richard Gere, Co-Chair of the Heroes Project, said: “Our partnership with Star demonstrates the strength of collaboration and the distinct leadership role media can play in dismantling stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. We are honoured Star has supported us in creating a great model of guidance we feel will prove invaluable to the prevention of HIV and AIDS, a model that also puts us in a position to directly alter the impact of the disease in Asia”.
Star, conducted as partner with Avahan - the India AIDS Initiative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation has helped the Heroes Project reach an estimated 70 million viewers. The Project’s award-winning Public Service Announcements (PSAs) have aired over 11,500 times in three languages across Star properties including its popular channels Star Plus and Star One. The collaboration has also incorporated HIV/AIDS messaging into several primetime shows such as Kaun Banega Crorepati’s mega-hit series starring revered icon Amitabh Bachchan.
Peter Mukherjee, CEO, Star Group, India said, “Our partnership with the Heroes Project has been a fulfilling experience with us. We are extremely happy with our extended involvement and believe it will not only strengthen the campaign but will ultimately allow us to send HIV/AIDS messaging to a broader audience more effectively. As one of India’s leading media companies, Star takes its corporate social responsibilities very seriously and we hope that our efforts will help to make positive changes in the lives of citizens throughout the country”.
With the campaign’s extension, the Star India and Heroes Project partnership will continue to explore innovative ways to create HIV/AIDS messaging through television programming, employee sensitization programmes and interactive gaming programmes via SMS.