SUGGESTED "SCRIPT" THAT CAN BE USED AS A GUIDE
WHEN YOU CALL YOUR PBS STATION
Call the Programming Director or an assistant in the Programming Department. Be sure to speak with someone at the station. Do not just leave a voice message. 

THE "SCRIPT" - which you can use as is or adapt:
"Hello. This is ___(name)____. (I'm a member of __(name of station)__.) I am calling on behalf of __(group/organization/the faculty at ...etc.)__. I'm inquiring about a new series on the history of abortion in the United States. I would very much like to see these programs if possible. Have you received information about them? Did you take the satellite feed from CEN on November 19? Do you have plans to broadcast any of them?" If there is interest, but not recognition, add details, such as describing the programs: 

WHEN ABORTION WAS ILLEGAL: Untold Stories

First-person accounts bring alive the era of back-alley abortion, revealing the physical, legal, and emotional dimensions of abortion when it was a crime in the United States. Women who risked their lives, doctors who risked losing their licenses, and others speak frankly about their experiences, some for the first time. OSCAR NOMINATION - Best Documentary Short; GOLD MEDAL from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; WORLD OF ARTS AWARD - The Girl Scouts.

After more than a century of back-alley tragedies, a national movement to decriminalize abortion took root. This film combines archival footage with present-day interviews to weave together two parallel stories: the evolution of 'underground' networks to help women find safe abortions outside the law and the efforts of activists who broke the silence in order to change the laws. EMMY- National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences; GOLD HUGO - Chicago International Film Festival; GOLD APPLE - National Educational Media Festival.

As a result of restrictive legislation, cutbacks in funding, and sieges of harassment and violence, access to legal abortion is declining. THE FRAGILE PROMISE of CHOICE examines how these conditions have affected the lives of providers and the women who seek their services. Newest Release

SCRIPT CONTINUED:  "I've heard good things about these programs. It's an important subject, and we are curious to see how the subject is treated." Then, something relevant about how the issues are being presented in the media or a personal interest such as: "I have a teenage daughter who needs to know more about how things were before Roe v Wade..." I really enjoy the variety of program-ming on __(station)__ , and hope you'll find a way to add these into your schedule." If the PBS station won't give an answer, let them know you'll call back . Emphasize that you have friends ready to get the word out. If they say 'no,' contact Julie about your Cable Access Station. 

VERY IMPORTANT: After you speak with the PBS station, e-mail or fax the result of your conversation to one of the staff at Concentric Media at staff@concentric.org. We need to know which stations plan broadcasts, so that we can find people to submit the programs to CABLE ACCESS stations when PBS declines. We need lead time to do that...so please check in with us immediately after you have a conversation with your local PBS station and can report where they stand.
 

Concentric Media PO Box 1414, Menlo Park,  CA 94026 USA  Ph: 650-321-6530 Fax: 650-321-5079