SALT LAKE CITY - For as long as most credit unions can remember, Children's Miracle Network's annual national CMN Champions Broadcast has always been shot live during the non-profit organization's annual telethon held the first weekend after Memorial Day. Starting in 2001, CMN is breaking with tradition. First, the broadcast will be a 10-hour, more flexible production called "Children's Miracle Celebration." It will continue to broadcast the weekend following the Memorial Day holiday (June 2-3, 2001), but the production of the broadcast will actually be taped during the organization's Children's Miracle Network Experience held two months earlier-April 3-7-in Orlando. Mick Karls, vice president association development for CMN said the new format will result in a production with a stronger credit union message since CMN will be able to do multiple takes, if necessary, and edit the tape accordingly. "There are a lot of credit union folks who have a great story to tell and are wonderful talking one-on-one, but they freeze up when they're in front of a television camera," said Karls. "We'll be able to take multiple shots and redo them as often as necessary, so it will all be more pleasant from the viewers' perspective." CMN also plans to add 30-minute television specials called "Children's Miracle Champions" that will air year-round on the same Children's Miracle Network family of television stations. Lastly, CMN is adding 30-second Public Service Announcement spots called "Children's Miracle Moments" that will broadcast daily to reinforce and complement the messages of the Children's Miracle Celebration and the Children's Miracle Champions. Karls said CMN is also looking into asking its sponsors to change the time frame in which they count the funds they raise for CMN. In the past, CMN has had a "broadcast to broadcast" time frame in which the funds were counted. "We still want our sponsors to focus on their fund raising efforts, that hasn't changed," Karls emphasized. CMN though is considering asking its sponsors to count their funds from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 of each year. Karls said this will allow CMN to report actual numbers on the Children's Miracle Celebration, instead of estimates. "This `counting' in no way affects when we want or when our sponsors want to raise funds," Karls stressed. "Fund raising can continue any time and particularly with a continued strong focus around the actual broadcast." Karls said CMN expects to move to this format with a formal announcement toward the beginning of August. CMN is an international non-profit organization that raises funds for children in more than 170 affiliated children's hospitals throughout North America. Each year, about 3,500 credit unions, chapters, leagues and business partners collaborate in Credit Unions for KidsT fund raising activities to benefit CMN. Credit Unions for KidsT is the second largest U.S. sponsor of CMN. -
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