Last Telethon Standing...For How Longer? - Simon Applebaum - MediaBizBloggers

This is an especially tough column to do. Especially tough because it deals with a first-class organization which has done so much great for this world. Especially tough because this organization is, to me, at a crossroads with the main way its message gets to the public, and the main way its funds are raised.

An immediate disclosure: I am a huge supporter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Jerry Lewis, the association's national chairman, and the way both have educated citizens across the world about the 40 neuromuscular diseases which directly afflict more than a million Americans and millions more worldwide. Over the last half-century, Lewis and MDA have invited us to get involved and create the economic and practical infrastructure to combat muscle diseases, and the public has responded with more than $2.5 billion, largely through the annual Labor Day MDA telethon, which has become an annual institution. I've supported MDA with an annual contribution from the late 60s, when the telethon was a one-station affair on New York outlet WNEW (now WNYW)-TV.

Thanks to these annual telethons, MDA is closing in on the day when muscle disease, any form of it, will be eradicated. However, the MDA telethon itself--the last example of the annual 20-hour-plus live TV fundraiser carried by broadcast stations--may be in danger of eradication by broadcasters before conquering its target health issue.

Only a few years ago, 200 stations comprising MDA's "Love Network" ran the telethon live from start to finish, and more than 100 million people tuned in. This past Labor Day, the number is down to 170--at least 20 stations exiting this ad-hoc network in the last two years--and according to Nielsen stats, about 40 million people are tuning in. Most important, in three of the last six years, and the last two years in a row, the telethon earned less than it did the year before. Final tote for 2010: $58,919,838 compared to $60,481,231 the previous Labor Day and the all-time record of $65 million-plus two years ago.

You can chalk it up to the economy or other factors if you want. You also could chalk it up to fewer stations and viewers watching. Why? Give you two points. First: the talent lineup. More and more, this first-rate organization is getting a fifth-rate talent lineup, with very few major stars we all know drawing people into this tent. Enrique Iglesias and Ray Romano were among the handful of hot stars of the moment on board this Labor Day past. This from a production team which has a year to prepare for its production. Then look at the lineup gracing Stand Up 2 Cancer's hour-long special five nights later on a mix of broadcast and cable nets. No comparison...and in just one hour, that organization raised about $80 million for its cause.

The lack of widely-known talent leads to point two behind the decline: cutting the show off nationally ahead of schedule. Without that talent to headline the final hour (5:30-6:30 p.m. Eastern time) and spur more donations at a critical time, MDA's producers shut down the show earlier and earlier, leaving their local station affiliates to fill an increasing amount of airtime and in danger of audiences exiting earlier after Lewis signs off with his rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone.

This time around, the show ended around 5:30 p.m. ET, the earliest ever, leaving stations with an entire hour to fill. The big irony here, and why I don't buy the economy argument for the lower tote rate is this: had the program continued nationally for another 5-15 minutes, MDA would have exceeded its final tote of 2009. The phone donation volume was on track to accomplish that result. Same situation with 2009 over 2008.

Let's get extremely clear here: Jerry Lewis is not the problem. MDA is not the problem.

The problem rests with the telethon's production team. They and they alone are responsible here. If no actions are taken, chances are another 10-20 stations will not run with the "Love Network" next Labor Day, while others may reduce their full-time involvement to part-time, reducing the already low audience turnout. And it may not be long after that until there's no MDA telethon to watch on Labor Day, before the cures and treatments for neuromuscular conditions are available to everyone.

It's time for MDA to take charge and transform matters by having a production team willing to draw the superstars in. If the current production team can't fulfill that direction under the timeframe they have at their disposal, bring in people who can. And second, if you're only a few million behind on the tote board with an hour to go, stay on the air until you exceed the previous year's result. Your community deserves that resolve.

Jerry Lewis wants to see muscular dystrophy and associated conditions wiped out in his lifetime. Let's give him and everyone impacted by these maladies the ability to see that through a telethon with superstars all over the place.

Until the next time, stay well and stay tuned!

Simon Applebaum hosts and produces Tomorrow Will Be Televised, the Internet radio/podcast-distributed program on the TV scene. Tomorrow runs live at 3 p.m. Eastern time/noon, Pacific time on BlogTalk Radio; on replay 24/7 at www.blogtalkradio.com/simonapple04, and on podcast (details at www.sonibyte.com). The program also is a featured TiVo podcast, and available to schools through Cable in the Classroom (www.ciconline.org/podcasts). Have a question or reaction? Direct it to simonapple04@yahoo.com.

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