Crystal Darkness - Arizona
04/16/2008
Nielsen ratings, the internationally accepted standard for measuring
what audiences are watching on their televisions, recorded an astounding
market share of 49 in the Phoenix designated market area (DMA) alone.
For those not in the broadcast industry this figure indicates that
during the two time periods Crystal Darkness aired on April 15, 49
percent of the households in the Phoenix DMA were tuned in to the meth
prevention program. The 49 share translates in to roughly 472,000
households watching the program.
Both the Tucson and Yuma DMAs
do not record Nielsen ratings. If they followed viewing trends in
Phoenix, an estimated 619,000 households in the three markets would have
been tuned in to Crystal Darkness. This does not include viewers in
many of the other participating rural regions of the state.
These
figures place Crystal Darkness as the third most-watched program in
Arizona in 2008, just behind the Super Bowl and NFC Championship in
ratings. In addition, the ratings are only a measure of the households
watching the program and do not include figures for the dozens of
viewing parties at high schools, town halls, churches and substance
abuse recovery facilities across the state.
“The cooperation and
participation from the entire broadcast community in Arizona coupled
with all the individuals who organized watch parties helped make Crystal
Darkness a tremendous success,” said Art Brooks, President of the
Arizona Broadcasters Association and Co-Chairman for the campaign.
In
addition to household figures, Nielsen ratings estimate each household
in Arizona represents 2.67 persons. Coupled with viewers at watch
parties, campaign officials estimate an astounding amount of Arizonans
watched and participated in the program.
“Based on information
from campaign officials, we believe at least 1.5 million people in
Arizona viewed, heard, read or attended gatherings about Crystal
Darkness last night,” said Commander Chris Crockett of the Public
Affairs Bureau at Phoenix PD.
The Nielsen ratings also do not
measure the number of residents listening to the program over the radio
on any of the dozens of radio stations that broadcasted it last night
and the one-hour panel discussion from 7:00 – 8:00p.m. that followed.
Campaign
officials were thrilled with the success of the program and the number
of Arizonans it reached.
“Our goal from day one was that if we
could reach out to only one person and prevent them from using Crystal
Meth, we would have succeeded,” said Gordon James, President of Gordon
C. James Public Relations and Co-Chairman for the campaign. “I think we
did that and much more last night.”
“The children found help last
night,” said Childhelp Co-Founders Sara O’Meara and Yvonne Fedderson.
“We are so pleased to have this chance to reach out and touch so many
people, to bring the light to so many of the wrongs with drug use and to
help heal those wrapped in its terrible hold.”
Childhelp was the
presenting sponsor of the Arizona Crystal Darkness program and operator
of its hotline. The non-profit has plans to maintain the hotline in
Arizona for years to come and to bring the Crystal Darkness program
across the nation.
About Arizona Crystal Darkness
On April 15,
2008, from 6:30p.m. – 7:00p.m. nearly every network-affiliated and
independent Arizona television station simultaneously broadcasted a
shocking and in-depth documentary on the dangers of Crystal Meth.
Spanish-language stations aired the program from 5:00p.m. – 5:30p.m.
Crystal
Darkness is told through the powerful testimonies of young people who
have gone through the dark and lonely depths of Meth addiction. With
heart wrenching and raw honesty, they speak to their generation with an
unforgettable message of warning. The program is targeted for youths and
their parents, but the message extends with conviction to an entire
community and throughout the nation.
All participating television
and radio stations donated the half-hour time period and preempted
their regularly scheduled programming in order to air the
commercial-free program. The Crystal Darkness Campaign is a unique
collaboration between local media, schools, law enforcement, recovery
specialists, faith organizations and the business community. These
organizations work together to help victims, create awareness and
prevent drug use.
The program is sponsored by Childhelp, a
national child abuse prevention and treatment non-profit organization.
Childhelp is responsible for maintaining the program’s hotline,
1-888-METH-AID, in addition to their own child abuse hotline,
1-800-4-A-CHILD. The non-profit organization reports over two-thirds of
the cases of child abuse it handles have a direct correlation to meth
use or production by the child’s parents or guardian.
Heather Defrancesco
