Each year, the Association of Cable Communicators sponsors the Beacon Awards, with the Golden Beacon Award regarded as cable's highest honor for communications and public affairs excellence. Beacon Award finalists and winners can expect recognition from the industry and the market for setting a high standard of excellence.

This year's Golden Beacon Award nominees are Vietnam in HD: Education Outreach and PSA Campaign, by the History channel; Connect a Million Minds, by Time Warner (News - Alert) Cable; and Characters Unite, by the USA Network. The ACC will honor these nominees and announce the winner during the Beacon Awards Luncheon and Ceremony on Thursday, September 13, at the Hilton New York.

"The Golden Beacon is ACC's highest honor, presented each year to a single communications initiative that has had a profound and lasting effect on the industry and its various stakeholders," said Pete Abel, 2012 Beacon Awards chair and senior vice president of corporate communications at Suddenlink, in a statement. "Over the past year, three industry programs, History's Vietnam in HD, Time Warner Cable's Connect a Million Minds and USA Network's Characters Unite, have exemplified the cable industry's commitment to improving the quality of life in the communities we serve, locally, nationally and globally."

History's Vietnam Campaign was meant to educate youth about the importance of the Vietnam War, while encouraging all Americans to thank veterans, young and old. History partnered with nonprofits such as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund as part of the campaign. The miniseries ran in fall 2011 and was viewed by more than 16 million viewers.

Time Warner's Connect a Million Minds (CAMM) initiative began in 2009 with the goal of connecting youth with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). TWC developed partnerships with FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) and the Coalition for Science After School (CSAS) to further this cause.

USA Network's Characters Unite is a campaign dedicated to battling prejudice and discrimination while promoting diversity and acceptance. In partnership with a number of non-profit organizations, this multiplatform initiative focuses on civil and human rights issues such as racism, hate crimes, bullying and many more. The campaign featured extensive on-air programming in 2012, including the documentary NFL Characters Unite and original PSAs.

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