Country Music Association and Ad Council Promote the Importance of Listening to Kids.

NEW YORK--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Dec. 13, 1999--

The Advertising Council and the Country Music Association (CMA) have teamed up to remind parents about the importance of listening to their children. The new public service campaign utilizes the talents of several country music artists, including Martina McBride, Tim McGraw and Wynonna. The campaign was created pro-bono by the highly acclaimed Austin, Texas based advertising agency, GSD&M. Children Now and the Kaiser Family Foundation endorse the initiative. The public service announcements will be distributed to more than 12,000 television and radio stations nationwide. The radio campaign begins this week, while television spots will begin to air in early 2000.

With its tagline "Tune In To Your Kids," the campaign targets parents to improve communication between parents and children through the promotion of better listening skills. Research indicates that strong communication between parents and children helps prepare families to face difficult issues such as peer pressure, sex, drugs and alcohol. In the long run, by developing an open line of communication with their children, parents remain a helpful resource for them as they progress through adolescence.

The campaign's initial TV spot features CMA's reigning Female Vocalist of the Year, Martina McBride. Radio spots also feature the multi-platinum-selling McBride, as well as multi-platinum-selling and CMA Award-winning artists, Tim McGraw and Wynonna. McGraw has captured the CMA Album of the Year award the past two years, while Wynonna, as half of The Judds duo, won Vocal Duo of the Year for four consecutive years.

The television spot depicts McBride actively listening to her daughter, Delaney. The radio spots are humorous in nature, and feature children resorting to singing to get their parent's attention. "If our kids' words were set to music," the voiceover suggests, "maybe we'd all be better listeners."

Ten Ways To "Tune In To Your Kids"

1. start early - young kids turn to their parents first, middle

school kids & teens turn to friends

2. start talking - invite the discussion; use an issue sensitive TV

program as a starting point 

3. tough topics - chances are your kids heard about it on the

playground and may have misconceptions 

4. listen closely - tune in; listening to your kids helps build

self-esteem and can lead to valuable conversations about a

variety of issues

5. open the door to dialogue - be open & interested; encourage your

kids to open up, without fear of consequences

6. values are important - make your beliefs clear before your child

becomes distracted by outside influences

7. honesty is the best policy - children tend to fill in the blanks

for themselves, creating confusion; honesty strengthens their

ability to trust you

8. hear them out - your patience will be appreciated; kids may take

a long time to get a story out; resist the temptation to finish

their thoughts

9. keep it casual - try to avoid the "big talk"; a casual

conversation will seem less threatening

10. say it again - kids can only take in a small amount of

information at one time

Adapted from the Talking With Kids About Tough Issues

Campaign by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

"Music transcends generations. It's something parents and kids can enjoy and relate to," said Peggy Conlon, Ad Council President. "The Ad Council supports efforts that benefit children, families and communities. This campaign touches all three audiences."

According to GDS&M President Roy Spence, "The message we want to send is simple, yet so powerful. Spend time with your kids and really listen to what they have to say, understand the problems they face. One of the best things that parents can give their kids is an experienced, honest view of the issues their child is facing."

"We think music is a great way to bring families together, to get them talking to one another," said CMA Executive Director Ed Benson. "Families have always been an important theme in country music, and especially to the performers appearing in this campaign. We're pleased to be able to join in this significant effort to bring parents and kids closer together."

Listeners and viewers are encouraged to log on to the campaign's web site www.tuneintokids.com for listening tips and more resources. Children Now and the Kaiser Family Foundation offer a number of tips on this web site to help parents communicate with their kids. For example, use opportunities such as driving in the car or watching a TV program to initiate discussions and wait patiently while your child verbalizes his or her thoughts before you answer.

The Advertising Council is a private, nonprofit organization, which has been the leading producer of public service communications programs in the United States since 1942. The Council supports campaigns that benefit children, families and communities. The communications programs are national in scope and have generated strong, measurable results. Ad Council campaigns, such as "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk," "Take A Bite Out of Crime," and "A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste," have helped to save lives and resources, to educate the public about issues and concerns of the day, and to make America a healthier country in which to live. In 1998, Ad Council campaigns received more than $1 billion in donated media time and space.

Founded in 1958, the Country Music Association was the first trade organization to promote any type of music. More than 6,000 music industry professionals and companies from 43 countries around the world are members of CMA. The organization's objectives are to guide and enhance the development of country music and to demonstrate it as a viable medium to advertisers, consumers and media throughout the world. CMA is headquartered in Nashville with offices/representatives in London, Cologne and Sydney.

Founded in 1971 by six college students, GSD&M has grown to become a nationally acclaimed agency of more than 500 employees and 1998 billings of $725 million. It is widely recognized for its creativity, strategic thinking and media savvy. GSD&M represents such clients as Wal-Mart, MasterCard International, Southwest Airlines, Chili's Grill & Bar, SBC Communications and Dreamworks SKG.

The Kaiser Family Foundation, based in Menlo Park, CA, is an independent national health care philanthropy and not associated with Kaiser Permanente or Kaiser Industries. Children Now, based in Oakland, CA, is a non-partisan child-advocacy organization grounded in innovative research and communication strategies. The Kaiser Family Foundation, Children Now and the Ad Council have a national initiative called Talking With Kids About Tough Issues to encourage parents to talk with their children earlier and more often about violence, sex, HIV/AIDS, alcohol and drugs (www.talkingwithkids.org).