Below is the text of Greg Schleppenbach's article for the Catholic Voice about the Omaha stage of Virtue Media's Nebraska campaign. It is terrifically exciting stuff!Greg, the Director of Bishops' Pastoral Plan for Pro Life Activities of the Nebraska Catholic Conference, does a sterling job in moving forward the cause of life (on a myriad of fronts) in our state. His successful efforts to bring Virtue Media's outstanding television outreach to Nebraska are just the latest blessings we should all be thanking him for. Great job, Greg!
Here's his article:
Virtue Media Ads Begin
In January of this year, many parishes in the Archdioceses of Omaha [and a few non-Catholic churches like Community Bible and Grace Reformed in Omaha] featured a DVD presentation during Masses about Virtue Media’s pro-life television advertising project. Virtue Media is a Christian, non-profit organization that creates and broadcasts very effective and compassionate pro-life ads that do three things: help save unborn babies from abortion, offer hope and healing to post abortive parents, and gently but effectively educate the public about the sanctity of life.
As a result of these presentations and efforts by other pro-life organizations [including Vital Signs Ministries] donations totaling about $120,000 have been made to this pro life advertising project. Greg Schleppenbach, director of pro-life activities for the Bishops of Nebraska, reports that this is the largest response by any diocese that has conducted this project. According to Schleppenbach, “Catholics in the Archdiocese of Omaha not only broke the record in total dollars donated, but also in the number of donations made and the average amount of each donation.” “Catholics in the Archdiocese should be very proud of their extraordinary generosity and the countless individuals who will receive life-affirming assistance through these television ads,” Schleppenbach added.
Based on this total of donations, a media plan was established with the goal of reaching several target audiences in the Archdiocese. Six different ads are being featured that will appeal to women who are abortion-vulnerable (ages 18-24), women who have had abortions (ages 25-49) and the general public. These ads can be viewed on Virtue Media’s website at http://www.virtuemedia.org/television.htm (see “Mentor”, “Pregnancy Help Multicultural”, “Post Abortion Healing”, “Window”, “Vanished” and “Hero”).
Ads will run on both broadcast stations (KXVO, WOWT, KMTV, KPTM,) and on Cox cable networks. Stations and programs were chosen because their viewers match the target audiences mentioned previously. Cable networks include the following: E! Entertainment, VH1, The Family Network, MTV, Travel Channel, The Food Network, Soap Network,CNN, ESPN2, Fox News, CNBC).
Programs on broadcast stations that will feature the ads include the following: Gossip Girls, Friends, The Simpsons, House, Family Guy, One Tree Hill, Smallville, Dr. Phil, Entertainment Tonight, 2-1/2 Men, daybreak and midday news, 5 pm, 6 pm and 10 pm news. A more detailed list of programs and run times is available from Greg Schleppenbach at 402-477-7517 or gregschlepp@neb.rr.com.
Schleppenbach said that for the amount of money being spent on this ad buy, “we are getting a lot of bang for our buck”. According to the agency that purchased the ad time, by the end of this ad buy, well over 90 percent of the target audiences should have seen the ads seven or eight times. Despite this level of saturation, Schleppenbach pointed out that it is possible some Catholics will not see the ads on television. “It was not possible to reach every corner of the Archdiocese with this ad buy”, he said. “And even in those areas where the ads are running heavily they could be missed by those who are more selective with the content of programs and times that they watch”, Schleppenbach added.
In his 17 years of directing the pro-life office for the Bishops of Nebraska, Schleppenbach said he has seldom seen such universal and enthusiastic support for a pro-life project. “Everyone who sees these ads—Bishops, clergy and laity—has nothing but praise and enthusiasm for these ads and the promise they hold for changing minds and hearts,” Schleppenbach said. “In a culture that has in many ways lost its sense of awe for human life, we need to be regularly inspired toward greater appreciation for the miracle and sacred dignity of human life,” he added. “Through these ads, we now have a new opportunity in Nebraska to significantly elevate the public’s appreciation for the sacredness of every human life.”
