Cox is a national media sponsor of the World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour 2009

ATLANTA, March 26 /PRNewswire/ -- As a national media sponsor of Earth Hour, Cox Enterprises is encouraging its 77,000 employees and communities in its 300-plus locations to participate in the largest climate change awareness event in history. Earth Hour will take place on Saturday, March 28, 2009, at 8:30 p.m. local time.

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Each of Cox Enterprises' major subsidiaries - Cox Communications, Manheim, Cox Media Group and AutoTrader.com - is participating. The company is providing in-kind media support in the form of Public Service Announcements (PSAs) and print and online promotions in nearly 40 markets across the country.

"Thanks to our cable, broadcast and digital properties, we're proud to help spread the word about Earth Hour 2009 and be a contributor in the worldwide effort to use energy much more efficiently and wisely," said Jimmy W. Hayes, president and CEO of Cox Enterprises.

Cox signed on as a national media sponsor through Cox Conserves, the company's national sustainability program. Cox Conserves' participation is an integral part of the initiative as Earth Hour continues to gain momentum in the United States and around the world. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) officials have confirmed that nearly 3,000 cities in more than 80 countries will turn off their lights for Earth Hour.

"A large element of our Cox Conserves program is to inspire and educate others to protect our natural resources," said Jim Kennedy, chairman of Cox Enterprises. "We hope that the Earth Hour 2009 message to turn off lights across the country on one night will motivate millions of Americans to incorporate simple conservation practices into their daily routines."

"Earth Hour encourages people from all walks of life to examine how their individual actions affect the global problem of climate change -- while making a powerful statement in support of solutions for a sustainable future," said Leslie Aun, WWF's vice president of media relations and managing director of Earth Hour US. "By supporting initiatives such as Earth Hour, Cox Enterprises sets a great example from coast to coast and makes a tremendous contribution as a valued corporate partner with far reaching impact."

The Cox Conserves program seeks to conserve resources, embrace renewable forms of energy, raise environmental awareness and reduce Cox's greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2017. Since 2000, Cox Enterprises has reduced its energy consumption by 10 percent. To learn more about Cox's environmental initiatives, please visit www.CoxConserves.com.

About Cox Enterprises (www.coxenterprises.com)

Cox Enterprises is a leading communications, media and automotive services company. With revenues exceeding $15 billion and more than 77,000 employees, the company's major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications, Inc. (cable television distribution, telephone, high-speed Internet access, commercial telecommunications, advertising solutions and the Travel Channel); Manheim, Inc. (vehicle auctions, repair and certification services and web-based technology products); Cox Media Group, Inc. (television stations, digital media, newspapers, advertising sales rep firms and majority-owned, publicly-traded Cox Radio, Inc.); and AutoTrader.com (online automotive classifieds and related publications). Additionally, Cox's Internet operations include Kudzu.com and Adify Corporation, a unit of Cox TMI, Inc.

About World Wildlife Fund and Earth Hour

Earth Hour (http://www.EarthHourUS.org) is a global initiative of WWF in which millions of people around the world will cast a vote in favor of action on climate change by turning off their lights for one hour on March 28, 2009 at 8:30 pm local time. By voting with their light switches, Earth Hour participants will send a powerful, visual message to their leaders demanding immediate action on climate change. WWF is the world's leading conservation organization, working in 100 countries for nearly half a century. With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, stop the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. Visita http://www.worldwildlife.org para conocer más.

SOURCE: Cox Enterprises, Inc.

Web site: http://www.coxenterprises.com/

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