Coming to the rescue of music videos: Sally Struthers?!

As Jack Paar would say, I kid you not. Check out this somewhat tongue-in-cheek
press release...
V
------------------------ Sitcom Star To Be Featured In Kitschy Ad & Viral Marketing Campaign to Launch Fuse, the Network Formerly Known as muchmusic usa "Save the Music Video" Benefit Telethon Heralds Fuse's Debut Monday, May 19, from 5 - 7 PM Sally Struthers' name is synonymous with two things - sitcom laughs and
noble charity works. The Emmy Award-winning actress starred in a long-running
public service campaign that raised millions for an international charity. Now,
Struthers is working with Fuse, the new music network launching May 19th, to
tackle a new cause - saving the music video! Struthers will appear in a series
of irreverent print ads and billboards that urge television viewers to "Please
... Help Save Music Videos. Watch Fuse." Debuting May 15th, the ad campaign
heralds the arrival of Fuse, which is currently known as muchmusic usa. "Anyone watching TV lately knows there's just not much music left in 'music
television.' But luckily, the music video has found a champion in Fuse," said
Struthers. "I'm flattered Fuse has called on me to use my proven call-to-action
approach to help save the music video from extinction." "Sally Struthers - who else could we turn to at this time when the music
television industry is in such a state of crisis, when viewers see more about
the homes musicians live in and the cars they drive than the videos they make?"
stated Marc Juris, president of Fuse. "I wouldn't trust anyone else but
Struthers with the awesome responsibility of saving the music video, of bearing
the weight of spearheading this mighty cause for music!" Fuse is an all-music destination driven by viewers, reflecting the rapidly
changing interests and irreverent attitudes of its audience. The Struthers
campaign was designed as a humorous, tongue-in-cheek technique for reaching
these viewers and is part of Fuse's innovative branding strategy that
incorporates a progressive logo, changing taglines and viral marketing. The
campaign takes a jab at Fuse's competition, other music networks that are
airing less and less actual music. The advertisements feature a concerned
Struthers and the headlines "Every day, thousands of music videos go unplayed,"
"Just by watching 3 minutes a day you can show a music video that you care,"
and "Right now, a music video is being neglected." The advertisements will be featured extensively in New York City through
mid-July, on billboards, bus shelters, phone kiosks, MTA buses, vendor
umbrellas and wild postings. In addition, the advertisements will run in a
variety of advertising and broadcast trade publications in May and June. "Save the Music Video": Telethon & Fundraisers As the network "flips the switch" to become Fuse, it will take the faux
pro-social hijinks a step further, hosting a two-hour "Save the Music Video"
benefit concert and telethon live from its new street-front studios in mid-town
Manhattan. Like the Struthers' advertisements, the telethon will ask viewers to
"Show a music video that you care" by pledging hours that they will dedicate to
watching music videos and insuring their survival. Fuse's "Save the Music
Video" telethon, to air Monday, May 19, from 5-7 PM, will include live
in-studio performances, along with pleas for pledges by the network's VJs and
its president, Marc Juris. The event will mark the official opening of New
York's newest street-front television studio at 11 Penn Plaza. Fuse will further promote its May 19 launch with a guerilla marketing
campaign that day on the streets of Manhattan. One tactic will include
Salvation Army-styled "fundraisers," complete with hand bells, megaphones, and
sandwich boards branded with the Sally Struthers advertisements, asking for
donations of time to watch more music videos. The "fundraisers" will be placed
at high-traffic, prominent locations throughout the city. Fuse is the nation's only all-music, viewer-influenced television network,
featuring music videos, exclusive artist interviews, live concerts and specials
- all rooted in music. Fuse reflects the rapidly changing interests and
attitudes of its audience by uniting the media platforms that are at the center
of their communication and entertainment - TV, online, and interactive games -
and by incorporating their opinions and suggestions into its on-air and online
programming. More information about Fuse is available at www.fuse.tv. Fuse is a network of Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc, the programming
subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE:CVC). A leader in sports,
news and entertainment programming, Rainbow owns and manages national and
regional networks including AMC, WE: Women's Entertainment and IFC. Artwork is available for download at: http://fuse.tv/press/press.html.
"There is no such thing as accident. It is Fate--misnamed." --title card, Erich Von Stroheim's "The Wedding March," 1928