Viamedia Responds to the Moment and Launches #ChangeStartsRightHere Grassroots Campaign

New Initiative Offers Free TV Spots for Business Owners, Minority Leaders and Police Officers to Show How Local Communities Can Work Together to End Racism

Viamedia, the television industry’s largest independent local ad management company, today launched #ChangeStartsRightHere, a new initiative to foster positive conversations in local communities about the changes needed to help end racism.

The pandemic, the resulting economic crisis and civil unrest have made 2020 emotionally charged for many Americans. To that end, Viamedia is stepping out of its comfort zone by running a TV spot asking its viewers in over 75 markets in 34 states, to not only join the conversation, but contribute to it.

The new initiative invites local business owners, minorities and law enforcement to create their own 15- or 30-second on-camera spots about how they are working together in their communities, and then upload the videos to Viamedia’s custom portal www.ChangeStartsRightHere.com. Viamedia will run approved messages as local PSAs across cable TV channels in their local community free of charge. Through this initiative, Viamedia hopes to encourage local communities everywhere to band together in a constructive way to create positive change and collaboration for building a more inclusive future.

“Today, a long overdue conversation is taking place across America, and the world. We should no longer sit idly by and wait for politicians to enact change,” said Mark Lieberman, president & CEO, Viamedia. “Viamedia’s goal is to create a nationwide grassroots campaign that engenders civil discourse, reminding all that change begins with each of us, at home around the dining room, and within our local communities. We cannot be afraid to use our voices to stand up and have a conversation. Change starts right here.”

Viamedia will share the call to action spots and the www.changestartsrighthere.com portal with other interested TV providers for free, whether they are Viamedia affiliates or not. 

Added Lieberman, “Another senseless moment of violence toward the African American community has taken place in our country. This moment calls for all of us to do more. This is about human rights, about our towns, our businesses. And I’m inviting other video service providers to similarly use their platforms to provide a voice to those who feel threatened, unsafe and marginalized to join the conversation.”

For more information, please visit http://changestartsrighthere.com/.