HH FANS, TO ME!

Many people have written to me expressing their disappointment in the networks' decision to discontinue the Horatio Hornblower series and want to know what they can do to encourage the Powers That Be to reconsider.  Below you'll find contact information to write to the networks as well as a few suggestions as to how you can support the effort to keep the Hornblower series from being run aground!

Frequently Asked Questions...

• How do I contact the two sponsoring networks (A&E and Granada)?

• I live outside the US/Canada/UK.  How do I contact the network that aired Hornblower in my country?

• Is there an online petition that I can sign?

• Have you heard anything back from the networks?

• When are you going to have another postcard drive?

• What should I say when I write?

• How can I help to promote the effort to save the Hornblower series?

How do I contact the two sponsoring networks (A&E and Granada)?

Feel free to e-mail or call using the information provided below, but keep in mind that letters make the most impact.

A&E:

A&E Television
235 East 45th Street
New York, New York 10017

PHONE: (212) 210-1400

FAX:  (212) 210-9016  *Be sure to direct your fax to Programming and Viewer Relations!

VIEWER RELATIONS E-MAIL: ae.viewerrelations@aetv.com

Abbe Raven (President and CEO of A&E): FAX: (212) 986-8046 E-MAIL: Abbe.Raven@aetn.com

Robert Debitetto (Executive Vice-President and General Manager of A&E): FAX: (212) 210-9077, E-MAIL: Robert.Debitetto@aetn.com

Meridian/Granada Productions:

Duty Office
Gas Street
Birmingham
B1 2JT

PHONE: +44 (0) 8706 006 766

FAX: +44 (0) 1216 344 898 *Be sure to direct your fax to Programming and Viewer Relations!

WEBSITE FEEDBACK FORM: http://www.itv.com/page.asp?partid=1215

VIEWER RELATIONS E-MAIL: dutyoffice@itv.com

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I live outside the US/Canada/UK.  How do I contact the network that aired Hornblower in my country?

Do you live outside the US/Canada/UK?  You can help, too!  Use the information above to contact A&E/Meridian, the producers of the series.  Your input will show that there is demand around the world for Hornblower!  If you saw Hornblower on a local network, contact that station and let them know that you would like to see more of the series.  Networks which are being pressured by their viewers to show more Hornblower will be more likely to put pressure on A&E/Meridian to make more Hornblower!

Have contact information for your nation's Hornblower affiliate?  E-mail me and I'll post it here!

AUSTRALIA:

ABC Audience and Consumer Affairs
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
PO Box 9994
Sydney NSW 2001

PHONE: (02) 8333 1500

FAX:  (02) 8333 5344

WEBSITE FEEDBACK FORM: http://www.abc.net.au/contact/

BELGIUM:

E-MAIL: info@canvas.be

ITALY:

MEDIASET,
Viale Europa, 48
20093 Cologno Monzese (MI)
Italy

PHONE: 39 02 2514.1

JAPAN:

NHK(Japan Broadcasting Corporation)
2-2-1, Jinnan,
Shibuya-ku,
Tokyo, 150-8001

PHONE: 03-3465-1111

WEBSITE FEEDBACK FORM:  https://www.nhk.or.jp/kaigai/form/webmail.html

THE NETHERLANDS:

NET 5
Postbus 18179
1001 ZB AMSTERDAM

PHONE:  020 8007000

FAX: 020 8007001

E-MAIL: info@net5.nl

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Is there an online petition that I can sign?

The original online petition to save the Hornblower series was closed in 2005 when I sent it to the networks.  There is currently no petition up because I have been told (by those who would know) that networks don't pay much attention to online petitions because 'signatures' are so easy to forge.  Stats from the original petition can be found on the right side of this web page.

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Have you heard anything back from the networks?

Following the petition and postcard campaign, many people have asked me if I'd gotten a response from any of the networks regarding the continuation of the series.  The simple answer is no.  Granada has sent some fans letters stating that they have no immediate plans to continue the series, but that's about it. 

Our goal is to show them that there is a market out there for Hornblower.  If you haven't yet written, WRITE!  Just because signatures and postcards aren't coming in at them in bulk, doesn't mean that they will ignore a response from a viewer.  A steady flow of mail asking for more Hornblower will illustrate its staying power and how its audience continues to grow!

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When are you going to have another postcard drive?

At the moment, I have no plans to push another postcard drive.  That, of course, doesn't mean that you can't write the networks asking them for more episodes of the series--on the contrary, PLEASE DO!  When I'm ready to do another one, Scaryfangirl.com will be the first place you'll hear about it.

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What should I say when I write?

Writing corporate headquarters isn't as intimidating as composing a report to their Lordships at the Admiralty, but since it's not exactly something most people do every day, below you'll find a few tips to help get your dispatch ship-shape.

• Identify yourself.  While many of us are fangirls at heart, networks don't typically cater to the whims of the fangirl.  Rabid fans are scary (*snicker*) and networks don't like to indulge scary people who don't come across as "mainstream".  They do, however, pay attention to intelligent, rational viewers who spend money on their products and those of their advertising sponsors.  Those viewers, after all, pay the bills.  It wouldn't hurt to mention any items that you may have purchased from the A&E Store.

• Don't threaten.  Saying that you're going to boycott A&E isn't going to hold much weight with corporate.  When you present yourself as a loyal viewer you give yourself clout that a fly-by-night fan can't possess.  (Expressing disappointment with the direction in which their network has gone in the last few years, on the other hand, is perfectly valid.)

• Stay calm and positive.  As much as you may WANT to tell The Powers That Be to take a long walk off a short pier, it's better to keep that sort of frankness to yourself.  People are more inclined to listen to those who are respectful and reasonable than to someone who is irate and antagonistic.  Keep in mind, too, that it is more effective to present the merits of your viewpoint than to simply say how terrible the opposing view is.  Talk about what's great about the Hornblower series and what it means to you rather than what's bad about other shows that they are producing.  We can bash that stuff among ourselves--we don't need to share same with the network that holds the future of our Horatio in the balance.

If you're looking for more specific information on what to write, click here for sample postcards.

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How can I help to promote the effort to save the Hornblower series?

Any fan of the series can help spread the word about keeping Hornblower alive.  E-mail fellow fans who may not have written the networks and encourage them to do so.  Post a link to this page in forums which might have members who would be interested.  Do the same in your blog.  Have a website?  Use one of the banners available here and link back to this site to let your visitors know where to get contact information.  The more people who know and write, the more likely it is that the networks will see the light!

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