AFN BC promotes live Cosby tweets for comedy special

AFN BC promotes live Cosby tweets for comedy special

AFN BC promotes live Cosby tweets for comedy special

United States Department of Defense; Defense Media Activity; American Forces Network Broadcast Center Public Affairs

January 6, 2014

AFN BC promotes live Cosby tweets for comedy special

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AFN BC) -- American Forces Network viewers had a unique opportunity to tweet live with Bill Cosby Dec. 20, 2013 during the network’s two airings of the comedian’s first TV comedy special in 30 years, “Far From Finished.”

Hundreds of service members, Department of Defense civilians and their families tweeted during the event, with Cosby personally answering nearly 200. “It was an incredible success,” said AFN Broadcast Center’s Marketing and Promotion Lead Promotions Producer Eric Gabriel. “This was the first time we’ve ever done a live tweeting event, so it was a test bed to see how responsive the audience would be.

“We were very impressed by not only the outpouring of tweets from service members but more so by the strong emotional responses people were getting from receiving a personal tweet from Dr. Cosby,” said Gabriel. “It was just amazing.”

The event was such a success that Broadcast Center leaders would like to host additional live tweeting events in the future and are pursuing ways to encourage celebrity participation.

Cosby is a Navy veteran, honorary Navy chief petty officer and award-winning actor and comedian, well known for “The Cosby Show.” His career spans five decades. He started in the 1960s as a stand-up comedian with multiple best-selling records and five Grammy Awards. He broke television’s racial barrier with his role on TV’s “I Spy,” making him the first African-American to co-star in a dramatic TV series. He won three Emmy Awards and many other prestigious awards.