CIGNA Sponsors TV Program Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 20, 2007 /PRNewswire/ -- Philadelphia CBS 3 and The CW Philly 57 will honor the memory of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a half-hour, locally-produced special sponsored by CIGNA. The program aired earlier this month, Black History Month, and will run again at 8 p.m. Feb. 24 on CW Philly 57.

CBS 3 Anchor Ukee Washington and The CW Philly 57 Anchor Natasha Brown will host "MLK: A Philadelphia Tribute," which highlights local Martin Luther King Day of Service events including a tribute concert performed by The Philadelphia Orchestra Jan. 15 at Martin Luther King Jr. High School. CIGNA has sponsored the Philadelphia Orchestra's annual tribute to Dr. King since 1990 and, for the past two years, has made the program free to the public. At this year's concert, CIGNA announced a $1 million donation to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Foundation to build a lasting monument to Dr. King in Washington, D.C.

"CIGNA has a long history of honoring Dr. King's legacy. As a company, we embrace the values Dr. King lived -- inclusiveness, respect, and service," said Otha "Skip" Thomas Spriggs III, president of the CIGNA Foundation. "This program enables us to bring Dr. King's message into the homes and hearts of the Philadelphia region."

The centerpiece of the program is the annual King Day concert by The Philadelphia Orchestra, now a local tradition. Guest conductor Thomas Wilkins led the Orchestra, joined by the Philadelphia All-City Chorus. Combining the traditions of African-American culture and Western classical music, the concert paid tribute to Dr. King's religious beliefs, his vision of a society free of prejudice and racial divisions and his belief in the power of music to effect change.

"Our stations were proud to join the Orchestra and CIGNA in bringing a little bit of this very special evening into homes throughout the Delaware Valley," says CBS 3 and The CW Philly President and General Manager Michael Colleran. "It was an incredible night that captured both the spirit of the man and the movement he inspired."

About CIGNA

As a Business of Caring, CIGNA provides employers with benefits, expertise and services that improve the health, well-being and productivity of their employees. With approximately 47 million covered lives in the United States and around the world, CIGNA's operating subsidiaries offer a full portfolio of medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and vision care benefits and group life, accident and disability insurance.

About CBS 3 and The CW Philly 57

CBS 3 and The CW Philly 57 are part of CBS Television Stations, a division of CBS Corporation consisting of 39 stations, including 21 CBS, 11 The CW, three MyNetworkTV and four independent stations not affiliated with major networks.

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