YOU
CAN INFLUENCE TV
by Beverly Caruso
If you're a typical Christian you probably have considered - at least
once - selling or giving away your television set. You've become
disgusted with the selection of shows, or frustrated with yourself for
watching questionable content. You may be angry that your children are
exposed to certain material. Maybe you've felt helpless about having
any influence over what is aired.
You can have influence!
Here are five steps to take toward influencing what is broadcast on
television:
1. Be selective in what you
and your family members watch. Television is a business.
Advertisers pay for the shows because viewers watch the shows and buy
their products. Producers make the shows because viewers watch the
shows and keep the advertisers paying the bills. Those advertisers make
their decisions about which shows to spend their money on based on
ratings. This is determined by professional agencies that use
scientific methods to determine what percentage of viewers are watching
specific shows. If you don't like or approve of a television show
change the channel or turn off the set.
2. Complain in an effective
way.* Too often we Christians are quick to form a national
campaign against what we don't like. More often we simply complain to
one another. You may be unhappy with a show and know others are unhappy
also. To be effective, let the advertisers know about it. But do so
politely and as a local group, using an appropriate business
letterhead.
When 500 members of a church in Auckland, New Zealand, or Bonn,
Germany, write to notify a sponsoring manufacturer that members of
their church members have agreed not to purchase his model of car as
long as he sponsors an offensive show, the manufacturer will pay
attention. He knows that if the group is unhappy, there are probably
other groups as well that won't buy his car. This means we'll need to
pay attention to commercials aired during a show and write down the
sponsors’ names. Then we'll have to research to learn the address of
the corporate office and the CEO. And most important, we'll need to
take the time to pray about how to write in such a way that our message
will be received.
HOW TO CONTACT
THE DECISION MAKERS
by Beverly Caruso
Locating television, cable or satellite networks is often difficult,
but not impossible. You might use a search engine on the Internet.
Words to search for include: contact us; comments; feedback; about us,
etc.
Once you’ve located the information, keep it handy so you can refer to
it each time you want to make contact. Then share that contact
information with others who might take action.
To locate corporations, if you don’t find them with a search engine on
the Internet, call your local public library. A Reference Department
librarian may look up the information you need. Or go there and ask for
the appropriate reference books. You'll find addresses and chief
officers listed.
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3. Unite your efforts locally.
We tend to think that a national campaign will be most effective. Often
it works just the reverse. Protests against the movie, "The Last
Temptation of Christ" created massive media attention in the United
States. Many in the movie and television industry believe that the
movie would have flopped and quietly disappeared without those well
publicized protests. They may be correct.
4. Affirm those who broadcast
things you want kept on the air.* Protests are not enough. If
you do like a show, let the sponsoring manufacturers know. Most letters
and phone calls from television viewers are negative. When a sponsor
receives positive feedback he pays attention. The rule of thumb:
producers and advertisers calculate each letter represents several
hundreds of viewers.
The same is true of producers and network executives. Let them know
which shows you like and why. Be specific.
5. Pray. Perhaps our
most effective tool of influence is our least applied. Perhaps we are
praying against those shows we disapprove. Are we praying for those
that have positive qualities? There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of
Christians in the television industry trying to improve the selection
and quality of programs that reach our homes. We can pray for them.
They may not be able to keep all offensive content off the air. Yet
when a Christian actress suggests to her director that alternate words
would better communicate the story line, and therefore offensive words
are not broadcast, she has been effective. When a Christian script
writer gets his story accepted by a popular show's producer, he will
influence thousands of lives.
We will not reform the television industry easily. It won't be
accomplished this year. You and I can adopt a producer, an actor, or a
writer - not necessarily a Christian. And we can pray regularly for him
or her.
Our prayer groups can adopt a certain show. We can learn about it,
about the people behind the camera as well as in front. We can pray for
God's Spirit to draw them unto Himself; we can pray for Christians to
be hired to live godly lives inside the industry; we can pray for God’s
conviction to constrain the decision makers; and we can pray for
Christian viewers to do the responsible thing - whether it's to change
the channel or to turn on their computer and send a letter to the
sponsor.
We can make a difference.
Beverly Caruso
Beverly Caruso is the wife of minister, Peter Caruso:
mother of three and grandmother of six - all actively serving Christ.
Together the Carusos pioneered and pastored two churches for a total of
thirty-five years.
They have ministered in forty countries in the South Pacific, SE Asia,
India, Africa, Middle East, Europe/Eastern Europe, and So. America.
Together with her husband Bev teaches Marriage Enrichment Seminars,
Singles Seminars and Leadership Seminars. Bev is a free-lance writer
and Bible teacher; resource teacher for the University of the Nations
and trains writers in churches and at Writers’ Weekends at the Writers
Haven of Rancho de la Paz, a Hospitality Center they founded and direct
for Missionaries and Ministers located in Southern California.
Bev’s published works include: Developing
Godly Character in Children, A Handbook and Resource Guide,
Hands to Help Publishers; Loving
Confrontation, on Relationship Principles, from Bethany House
Publishers; Senior Editor, Faith
Builders from Around the World, 365 devotionals from over 90
countries, from YWAM Publishers; and Contributing author, Making Your Husband Feel Loved,
Creation House Publishers.
*Note of interest for this article: Bev’s son, David, worked for five
years in the offices of the TV show, Touched by an Angel. Four of those
years he was Assistant to the show’s Executive Producer. Bev writes
with inside knowledge.
