After countless hours of brainstorming, planning, storyboarding, shooting, editing, re-shooting and re-editing, the chiropractic documentary is ready for prime time television. The one-hour television program is one of the many public relations projects produced by the Chiropractic Centennial Foundation (CCF). Leading the efforts to get the documentary made was Guy Riekeman, DC, chairman of the CCF's Communications and Media Exposure committee, who said that despite all the hard work, the project was truly a labor of love.
Dr. Riekeman was assisted by Stephen Eckstone, PhD, director of alumni at Palmer College of Chiropractic West. Dr. Eckstone has extensive experience in the television and communications industries, which should prove to be crucial when it comes to placing chiropractic's documentary on national television in the United States.
The documentary, "From Simple Beginnings -- Celebrating a Centennial of Chiropractic Care," is hosted by Jack Perkins, a well-known television personality who boasts an excellent reputation for being knowledgeable and trustworthy. "From Simple Beginnings" chronicles the development of chiropractic through our first 100 years.
Both Drs. Riekeman and Eckstone have donated hundreds of hours to make the chiropractic documentary a first-rate television program. The documentary has interviews with numerous personalities from both inside and outside the profession. It presents the full spectrum of chiropractic, and features noted alternative health care authorities.
The documentary was initially funded by the Chiropractic Centennial Foundation (CCF) through the generous donations of numerous DCs and chiropractic suppliers. Unfortunately, the painstaking process of re-shooting and re-editing to improve the program ran beyond budget. It was at that time the National Chiropractic Mutual Insurance Company (NCMIC) stepped in: NCMIC's donation was the $32,000 needed to do the necessary additional filming and editing.
Then an exciting opportunity presented itself: world renown health author/lecturer Deepak Chopra, MD agreed to be featured in the chiropractic documentary. Again, NCMIC came through for the profession and agreed to cover the extra expenses.
"The chiropractic documentary is something that our profession is very excited about. The addition of Deepak Chopra, MD and the additional filming and editing have made our documentary very contemporary, said NCMIC President Louis Sportelli. "It would have been a shame not to have made our documentary the best it could be. NCMIC was happy to be able to supply the money needed to make it the best."
It is now time to put "From Simple Beginnings" on national television. Obviously, the networks will not be willing to feature this television program on its merits. If chiropractic is going to be featured on prime time television, we will have to purchase the air time ourselves.
Currently, Drs. Riekeman and Eckstone are working with Bawden & Associates (the PR firm for the Chiropractic Centennial Foundation) to place the chiropractic documentary for the greatest exposure, given our budget.
Fortunately, William Harris, DC, chiropractic philanthropist and president/founder of the Foundation for the Advancement of Chiropractic Education (FACE), saw the need for chiropractic to tell its story and was willing to help the cause. Committed to the goal of chiropractic reaching a wider audience, FACE donated $300,000 to the CCF with a challenge: that the chiropractic profession would raise an additional $500,000 for the airing of the documentary.
Currently, the chiropractic profession has donated over $420,682 in an effort to meet Dr. Harris' challenge. But the profession needs more.
If you would like to see the chiropractic documentary aired in your area, please contact the CCF at (319) 327-0126 and make a donation as soon as possible. The negotiations are currently underway for the documentary to be featured on prime time national television early in 1996. We can tell the story of chiropractic to the entire country -- on our own terms -- but we need the help of each and every DC.
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