FOX NETWORKS GROUP, KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION HIT “PAUSE”
Partnership to Inform Young People on Risk and Responsibility
Multi Platform Campaign to Include Broadcast, Cable and Online Components
The Fox Networks Group (FNG) and the Kaiser Family Foundation, a leader in health information and research, are partnering on a new multi-platform public education campaign targeting young people (ages 15 and older) to promote smart choices and healthy life-styles. The PAUSE campaign will help teens understand the power they have to make difficult decisions on a range of issues including teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases; alcohol and substance use; and online safety, among other topics. In addition to broadcast and cable public service announcements (PSAs), the campaign will utilize Fox’s wide array of new media platforms popular with teens, including MySpace.com, and conduct health information briefings for Fox producers and writers to help incorporate messages across the network’s entertainment programs.
The campaign will debut with a first wave of PSAs in conjunction with the TEEN CHOICE AWARDS, which air on FOX Sunday, August 20th (8:00-10:00 pm ET/PT). A second wave will be released in early 2007 in conjunction with the new season of AMERICAN IDOL.
Presented under the PAUSE umbrella, the campaign will include:
- Targeted PSAs on Fox broadcast and cable networks.
- Complementary messaging within Fox entertainment programming.
- Cross-platform components on Fox.com, Fox Interactive Media properties, such as MySpace and other Fox platforms.
- Informational resources on a dedicated website.
The PAUSE campaign recognizes that in a minute, everything can change. Impulsive behaviors are part of being young. Through the campaign, FNG and Kaiser hope to encourage young people to “pause” – even if just for sixty seconds -- when confronted with a difficult or risky decision, consider the best option, and reach out to get more information and help if they need it. In that minute, they have the choice to make a good or bad call. As PAUSE indicates, “it only takes a minute to change your life.” For a young person, that kind of power can be intimidating, yet also very empowering.
“The PAUSE initiative offers great potential to help young people be more aware about how their decisions affect their lives and how they can make better choices,” said Drew Altman, President and CEO of the Kaiser Family Foundation. “The idea behind the design of PAUSE is for young people who enter the world of Fox and all its properties to be exposed to positive and re-enforcing messages virtually everywhere they go.”
“We are delighted to be working with The Kaiser Family Foundation on the PAUSE initiative,” said Fox Networks Group President and CEO, Tony Vinciquerra. “This program is critically important to our core viewing target. We want to encourage them to take a moment to consider the decisions they may be about to make, in hopes that a brief pause could lead to wiser choices.”
FOX entertainment president Peter Liguori echoed the sentiments. “As a parent of two teenagers, I am proud to have FOX support the PAUSE campaign. Over the years, FOX has demonstrated that we are the network of choice among teen and young adult viewers and there is no question that FOX, our cable partners and our online divisions will be able to aggressively reinforce the PAUSE message.”
The PAUSE “ll” symbol – recognizable to the “digital generation” – will serve as the campaign’s icon, linking together the various components. The kinetic vibe of the Pause logo and the tagline, “It only takes a minute to change your life,” will convey the core message of the campaign in an eye-catching and thought-provoking way.
Information and resources about a range of issues affecting young people will be provided thru a dedicated website: www.FOX.com/pause and content will be organized under three main sections: Mind, Body and Relationships. The site offers original content and features links to prominent national organizations such as Above the Influence, the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign; The Truth, American Legacy Foundation; Alliance for a Healthier Generation, an initiative of the William J. Clinton Foundation and American Heart Association; TeenHealth.org; National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy; National Easting Disorders Association; National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; and S.A.F.E Alternatives.
In addition, FNG’s broadcast and cable outlets will run the PAUSE public service announcements in heavy rotation. FOX and Kaiser are also looking at in-show and ancillary (DVD, Mobile and Internet) tie-in opportunities with youth-oriented programming, such as THE O.C. and THE WAR AT HOME. For additional information on PAUSE, viewers are encouraged to go to www.FOX.com/pause.
ABOUT THE KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION
The Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit, private operating foundation dedicated to providing information and analysis on health care issues to policymakers, the media, the health care community and the general public. The Foundation is not associated with Kaiser Permanente or Kaiser Industries.
ABOUT FOX NETWORKS GROUP
Fox Networks Group, an operating unit of News Corporation (NYSE:NWS), consists of the Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX), Fox Cable Networks (FCN), FOX Sports and Fox Networks Engineering & Operations (FNE&O). FOX is one of the nation’s most popular broadcast television networks, and Fox Cable Networks are collectively seen by more than 400 million cable and satellite television homes. FCN networks include FX, FSN and its 15 owned-and-operated regional sports networks, Fox College Sports; National Geographic Channel and its high-definition service NGCHD; SPEED; Fox Soccer Channel; Fox Sports en Español; Fox Movie Channel; FUEL TV and Fox Reality. FCN has a joint interest in the new Big Ten Channel, a co-venture with the collegiate conference. FCN also includes Fox Sports Enterprises, which manages Fox interests in sports franchises and leading statistical information provider STATS, LLC. FOX Sports is a leading proponent of high-definition television, and has earned more than 60 Emmy Awards for production excellence on NFL, MLB, NASCAR and other events. A recognized innovator, FNE&O provides physical production, transmission and facilities activities to FOX, each of the Fox Cable Networks and FOX Sports.
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