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ORGANIZE YOUR AUDIENCE 

When you prepare a program for Channel C or Channel D, you want as many people possible to see it, of course. In order to insure that this will happen, you have to organize your efforts to let people know that you're going to have a program on the cable. This isn't as difficult or expensive as you might think. You just have to know where to place your announcements about your program.

There are several things you can do to spread the word about your program. You can place ads in community newspapers, make colorful posters to set in public places, or call or write to people to let them know that you are going to have a program shown. 

If you wish to organize your audience so it will be sure to get as much as possible out of your programs, and so that your experience with Public Access is a meaningful one, you will need to think carefully about just how you are going to go about it. The following checklist of questions will help you do just that.Some will apply to you, others will not. Once you plan how you are going to organize your audience, much of your work is finished. 

1. What is your program about?
2. Who is your target audience? Is it a special interest group; is the audience located all over the City, or is it geographically defined? Call Don Jackson at 928-5179 to arrange to have your production shown in the Teleprompter area- above East 86th St. and West 79th.  
3. Where might announcements be placed? In community centers? Meeting halls? Apartments? Public places? Newspapers? 
4. What kind of announcements would be most effective? Press releases? Classified ads? Spot ads? Signs? Radio audio announcements?
5. How many people do you need to reach? Will phone calls be enough to notify the people you are trying to reach?
6. What do you actually want to say in organization announcements?
7. Will your organization program bring new members to your group, or benefit you in other ways? If so, make sure to include a notice at the end of your program with the name, address, and phone number of the organization (or your own) so that your audience can get in touch with you. 
8. Who in the community do you already know who will help you organize? Local news editors? Artists? Writers?

We have compiled a list of media outlets which you may wish to utilize to promote your program. Call 260-1200 and we'll send you a copy Once you have scheduled your program, call Diane Martin of Cable TV World 989-2496 so that you can arrange for ads and special descriptions to be carried in this guide. 

Lastly, watch your program. Be very critical of your finished product and try to improve with each show. Put yourself in the audience's place. Communicating is not easy but it can be done well when you have made every effort to make your efforts count.