Challenge
In 2006, phone companies gained traction in their attempt to pass legislation creating a statewide cable franchising system. AB 2987, sponsored by the Assembly Speaker, would allow phone companies to avoid local municipal franchising processes when entering the cable business. Adopting cable franchise regulations would create an unfair advantage benefiting phone companies over local cable operators. The bill also allowed phone companies to avoid local rules requiring cable providers to serve all communities in a given locale regardless of their socioeconomic standing. While phone companies got a free pass, local cable operators would still need to meet requirements of their existing local franchise agreements. If implemented this system would create an uneven playing field in the cable market.

Harvey Englander knew that in very short time frame, the cable industry would need a groundswell of public support to improve their negotiating position with bill sponsors and the phone companies. This was no small task; for over six months the phone companies had flooded TV and newspapers with ads in an effective pro-competition campaign. The only way to overcome their head start was to create a surgical strike media campaign that would raise enough public pressure to impress upon the legislature that this would not be a risk free vote.

Solution
Englander created a series of effective commercials and print ads raising issues of fairness, equity, and the virtues of true competition on a level playing field. The TV ads were strategically placed with a continual broadcast buy in Sacramento, weekend broadcasts buys during news shows in San Francisco and Los Angeles, as well as effective use of cable airtime throughout the state. Print Ads were also purchased in the Sacramento Bee at strategic points of the legislative session. These ads drove the viewer to a newly created website at TVforALL.org where they could review the negative effects of AB 2987 and sign an online petition supporting equal access and fair competition.

Result
In a 6 week period the media campaign was successful in driving over 830,000 hits to the website with over 5500 petition signers. The quantifiable support on the website as well as the public awareness created by the TV and print ads had the desired impact. During consideration by the State Senate, bill sponsors accepted amendments that would allow cable operators to opt into the statewide franchise system if faced with competition by a phone company in their area. The amendments also required the phone companies to meet standards for build out to all communities in any area where they choose to compete for cable market share.