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PREY Campaign Updates |
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Campaign Updates |
Update
- #43
September 21, 1998 Hi all. I want to start with some good news. Viewers Voice, an organization that works to make the viewers voice heard in programming decisions, has awarded our "PREY For Us" campaign ( that means all of you guys who have been working so hard these last months!!!) a special award for our outstanding efforts to get PREY renewed. Check out the Viewers Voice site, (http://www.viewersvoice.org) and also the awards page at the site. Please be sure to email Brenda (VVBrenda@aol.com) and thank her for the continuing support their organization has given us over the months. PREY has a special page at their site and they have added a link to our campaign site. THANKS VIEWERS' VOICE AND THANKS TO ALL OF YOU DEVOTED PREYMATES!!! WAY TO GO GUYS!!!
1. As most of you know, PREY is now listed at the Celebrity 1000 site , (http://www.celebrity1000.com/main/htm) and we are now able to vote on PREY and Mr. Storke and Ms. Messing for favorite actor and actress. It takes just a minute to vote and every bit of publicity we can get will help. Check out the site and vote for our favorite show! 2. Fall preview week is upon us and PREY alumni are beginning some new shows next week.
As we have said in the past, although we will continue to work to bring PREY back to television, we also acknowledge that PREY cast and crew members need to continue to pursue professional opportunities. We wish them the best of luck as we work to renew PREY ( 2 paychecks would be better than one :-) ). 3. A BIG thank you to Mary T. and all the people who helped her with the email campaign to newspapers online in support of our Habitat for Humanity project. At last count Mary and company had reached over 950 newspapers! In true 1.6 spirit, Mary is going for 1000. This has been a wonderful effort and I deeply appreciate the time and effort put into this campaign. 4. If you have not already sent in your check for your PREY mug(s), I will soon release the remaining mugs to people who were waiting to hear if there were any extra mugs ( I ordered a few extra to use if some were broken in the mail and some have not been paid for yet). If you want to make sure you get your mug(s), please contact me asap. I do not anticipate placing another order for mugs at this time, so, when these are gone, that's it. 5. In the September 7th Newsweek, Barry Diller, chairman of USA Network, was profiled. Mr. Diller is a major player in the entertainment industry and is working to expand his already considerable holdings ( some of which include the USA Network, Sci-Fi Channel, Studios USA- his production unit, Golden Books, and Ticketmaster). The USA network is already the top-rated cable network with profits of around 250 million. He has hired Stephen Chao to oversee develop of new programming for his expanding network. (Both Mr. Diller and Mr. Chao are on our network reminder list). These men are looking for new, dynamic programming and are willing to "push the envelope". You might want to develop your letters to these two executives to highlight PREY's potential and unique vision. 6. In the September 14th Newsweek, there was an interesting article about the changing viewing habits of television audiences. Although no one is predicting the demise of the big four networks, there is mounting evidence of a substantial erosion of viewers. In one telling statistic, total "upfront" ad sales ( sponsors committing their money before the shows air) went down for the first time in six years. Also, during one week in August, more people chose cable over network TV for the first time ever. Again, we can use this kind of information to help showcase our efforts. Increasingly for people, all TV is appointment TV, we watch what we like and we have no problem with using the remote. The more varied and interesting the programs, the more likely the networks are to grab those increasingly important "slices" of the viewing audience. There is little sense in developing with the overridding goal of creating a "megahit" that 30-40% of the people will tune in to. It rarely happens anymore, except for special one time events. More and more, networks need to diversify and give people a greater variety of interesting programs, even shows that "only" draw 3-4 million people ( where else but television would people consider a following of 3-4 million people insignificant!!) In the search to find the few blockbuster programs, other shows are relegated to the canceled pile with barely a look back. The networks are already laying off people,certainly in part, to pay the exorbitant fees of a few programs. The question seems to be, do we subsidize a few popular programs at the expense of everything else? Again, we are not trying to be confrontational. I think that network television is entering a new decade with many new challenges. It will take new visions and a new willingness to adapt in order for them to retain their position in the entertainment industry. Change is hard whether for an individual or a major industry. Using our 4 campaign words- professional, polite, persistent, and passionate, we can point out information in such a way that we provide viewpoints rather than directives, suggestions rather than orders, support rather than condemnation.
As always, thanks for your wonderful efforts on behalf of PREY. Your award was well deserved- you earned it with your courage, intellect and passion. The journey continues, but don't forget to stop for a moment and look back at the path you have forged. You have accomplished a great deal and done it with heart and determination. Margaret Mead was right- "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Gina
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