Friday, May 15, 2009

Action: Wisconsin Awareness PSA, Radio Blocks

TMJ4 reports the folks in Milwaukee have done a radio block - an amazing awareness event that enlists all radio stations in the listening area to broadcast the sound of a crying baby - followed by a short SBS awareness message - for one minute. Link to video news report

Kudos to Gary Mueller, the prevention advocates in Milwaukee, and participating radio stations.

Resource: Story of the first Milwaukee radio block Link (from Free Range Thinking: also a good resource - published by A Goodman - Good Ideas for Good Causes)

Unfortunately, increased awareness does seem to be a very necessary thing in Milwaukee these days...

Shaken Baby Announcement you Can't Escape
Diane Pathieu

MILWAUKEE - A crying, screaming baby, on your radio, for 60 seconds.

60 long, ear-popping seconds. It's on every radio station you turn to. And that is the point.

Gary Mueller is behind creating this public service announcement designed to teach people not to shake a baby, and end the climbing number of baby deaths in our area. "It was a message of crying that you cannot escape and I think it's an unforgettable one."

Gary is right. He's tried that before, and the numbers have dropped.

"The shaking's stopped," Mueller says.

In order to target men, Gary even created stickers placed on products that men often buy, like WD-40, spray paint, and even garden products in 3 local ACE Hardware stores.

"75% of the perpetrators of shaken baby cases are men, and they are very difficult to reach so we thought let's catch them by surprise," says Mueller.

With four kids of his own, Gary says this campaign is very close to his heart, and hopes it works for good.

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