On the front page of its January 27, 1992 issue, the American Medical News (AMN), the weekly publication of the AMA, reported on the AMA/CNBC cable television venture, describing the programming as "a broad range of health programming to physicians and the public."
Other members in the partnership are Art Ulene, M.D., a "health broadcaster" who since 1987 has worked with the AMA to develop national health campaigns; and Chicago's Orbis Broadcast Group, a producer of medical programs.
This is not the AMA's first foray into cable medical programming. Lifetime cable network aired AMA medical programs for MDs from 1984 to 1988. The AMA created American Medical Television (AMT) in 1989, moving the programming to the Discovery Channel. Last September, the AMA started its half-hour consumer program "Living Well America," which will continue to air on the Discovery Channel until the end of the year.
The AMN predicts that the new cable deal will be a money-maker for the AMA. Under the contract, the AMA will receive guaranteed royalty income for each year in 1992-1994 contract period and will be a primary equity holder in the new company. Also, the AMA will be receiving more than one-half million dollars worth of advertising and promotion each year for its services and positions on issues.
From the debit perspective, the AMA must make yearly payments to CNBC reflecting the value of the airtime to the partnership. The AMA has also promised to provide its current programming inventory as well as rent and unlimited studio space for AMT for the next three years. But to minimize any risk for the AMA, Dr. Ulene has indemnified the association against any first year loss and is furnishing the initial capitalization of the company. The AMA also has the option to buy out of the contract with six months notice.
The AMN reports that in three to five years, AMA officials eventually want their cable efforts to lead to a 24-hour-a-day health network.
The logical question is: Why shouldn't chiropractic have its own health programming on cable? The answer is obvious: It should. Now is the time for the profession to mobilize itself towards the goal of equal media access. Cable television is a medium currently going through a growth explosion. The moment is propitious for chiropractic to gain a foothold and exploit the phenomenal potential cable offers.
AMT President Wendy Borow says in the AMN article, "Cable technology is rapidly changing to allow a channel to deliver subchannels and make more air time available." What this means is that chiropractic could do just what the AMA is attempting in this venture: place a "subchannel" (chiropractic programming) on an existing channel to start out, with the hope of eventually eclipsing that existing channel.
This is certainly not an unattainable dream. With organization and perseverance, the chiropractic profession could make it a reality. Imagine educational programming for chiropractors/chiropractic students; informational programming explaining chiropractic care; and programming which demonstrates how to minimize the risk of injury in the work place. These are just a few of the initial possibilities.
Chiropractic must combine all of its resources and unite itself to reach this goal. The profession must accept the challenge to gather funding, produce chiropractic programming, recruit advertisers, and find a suitable cable television deal. It could take years to accomplish all of this, but the end result is ultimately worth the effort: bringing chiropractic to a greater number of people than ever before. Health broadcasting is rapidly becoming a major trend of the 1990's and chiropractic needs to be prepared to enter this marketplace.
The AMA is moving into the '90s, and chiropractic must have the initiative to quickly catch up. DCs have everything to gain: public awareness, intraprofessional awareness, and increased respectability. The alternative is to be left behind, and miss the benefits that cable technology can offer, depriving chiropractors and patients alike of valuable, educational chiropractic programming. The opportunity is there, simply waiting for the chiropractic profession to take advantage of it.
Barbara Migliaccio
Second Assistant Editor