Get Your Garden in the News!

**A*@aol.com**

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year, fellow ACGA members!  Now that I have a 
firm date that my community gardening TV documentary "A Lot in Common" will be 
fed to public television stations nationally via satellite, I'm asking anyone 
so inclined to contact their PBS stations to express local interest in seeing 
community gardening promoted in this way.  Once the public TV station in your 
area has been convinced to record the feed and broadcast the show, your garden 
or group can send a press release to newspapers, radio and other TV stations 
about the "news" of the airdate to generate publicity about your own activities 
happening around the same time, which won't be until Spring or Summer.  A 
sample press release can be found on the website, http://www.ALotinCommon.com

I have names and contact numbers for public TV programmers in all the major 
television markets in the country, and would be happy to send your programmer's 
info to you, if you are interested in personalizing the form letter below by 
including information about your garden into it before forwarding it along.  
With the New Year upon us, the sooner this contact can be made, the better.  
The satellite feed date is January 18.  Also, please feel free to call me if 
you'd like to talk further about ideas for a larger publicity campaign like the 
one we mounted here in San Francisco.   

ACGA has been a tremendous help to me on this project, and I so appreciate 
the Board's permission and approval to approach you all in this way.  Now in 
return, I hope the TV show can be a help to this great organization.  Sincerely, 
Rick Bacigalupi, producer & ACGA member 415-282-0340

P.S.  In the spirit of full disclosure I'd like to add that at no time will I 
 have been paid for the production or PTV distribution of my show.  It is 
possible that a very small fraction of my monetary investment may be recouped 
through ancillary sales of video tapes, announced at the end of the show, after 
the ACGA website is promoted.  But I'm not betting on it!  Thanks.
_____________________
To:  Program Manager
       Public Television station
cc:  Community or Public Affairs Director

Dear Program Manager,
      We at (Local community gardening organization) would like to call your 
attention to the National Educational Television Association’s (NETA) 
satellite feed of the independent documentary, “A Lot in Common,” scheduled for next 
month, January 18, 2004, 2100-2200/513.  This documentary resonates closely 
with the interests of our membership and we urge you to record the feed and 
consider scheduling the program for broadcast during the Spring or Summer months.  
A great time to air the show would be when gardens will be coming into bloom 
during April, National Gardening Month.  The film is also appropriate for 
programming around Earth Day, April 22nd.

    “A Lot in Common” is endorsed by the American Community Gardening 
Association, a national membership organization promoting community gardening, urban 
greening and neighborhood empowerment.  This is of special interest to 
viewers in the (City) area because (why--). Broadcast of the documentary provides a 
wonderful opportunity for dialogue about these issues.

    We would be delighted to provide speakers to appear on (TV station’s) or 
(affiliated radio station’s) (local public affairs or news program) in 
conjunction with the airing of “A Lot in Common,” to explore the local angles on 
this pressing national topic.  We especially want to get the word out about 
(insert local issues, gardens under threat, good news about garden programs, 
anything with an “edge” or conflict will be most attractive).  

    More information about the documentary, including downloadable clips for 
previewing, are available at http://www.ALotinCommon.com.  ACGA’s website 
http://www.communitygarden.org lists a wealth of additional resources for your 
viewers, as well as our own website (web address).  We look forward to seeing “A 
Lot in Common” on (TV Station’s) air, and will be calling before the feed 
date to follow up.  Thanks for your consideration!
                    Sincerely,
                        (name & contact info)
encl:  national press release for documentary--download from 
www.ALotinCommon.com and print on your garden stationery; AND any literature about your garden 
or group

______________________________________________________
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