AMERICAN ATHEISTS, INC. P O Box 140195 Austin, TX 78714-0195 Voice: (512) 458-1244 FAX: (5

AMERICAN ATHEISTS, INC.
P O Box 140195
Austin, TX 78714-0195
Voice: (512) 458-1244
FAX: (512) 467-9525
BBS: (512) 302-0223



For Release on or before July 22

                AMERICAN ATHEIST TELEVISION FORUM
                     REACHES 9,023,392 HOMES

     The "American Atheist Television Forum" now reaches over 9
million homes by cable, according to Jon Murray, president of
American Atheists. He made the announcement on the 14th
anniversary of the weekly talkshow. Airing on 132 stations across
the nation, the Forum examines state/church separation problems,
religion in politics, and the civil rights of Atheists. "It has
become a staple in many American homes," Mr. Murray noted,
"particularly for Atheists isolated from other contact with
fellow Atheists."
     "Many cause organizations complain about lack of access to
the media for their concerns," Murray notes. "Our solution has
been to go around the conventional media and straight to the
people through national video and electronic outreach."
     First produced in 1980, the program originally aired only in
Austin, Texas. It has been introduced in other cities and on
cable outlets through the efforts of members of American
Atheists. According to _Cable Contacts 1993_, (New York: BPI
Media Services, 1993) the 132 cable stations reach over 9 million
homes. Six hundred video cassettes are shipped to the
participating stations each month. 
     Mr. Murray and Madalyn O'Hair, founder of American Atheists,
are hosts of the program series. The programs are one-half hour
in length and are produced for weekly broadcast.
     The American Atheist Television Forum appears on cable
systems which provide community access programming. In each
instance, supporters in the area have asked for the programs to
be aired and sponsor them.
     Mr. Murray is enthused with the restructuring of American
Atheists which has emphasized the strength of the National Office
and its information services. "The American Atheist Television
Forum, the American Atheist Bulletin Board Service [512-302-
0223], and its e-mail outreach have really taken off since we
turned from local chapters to national outreach," he explained.
"American Atheists' information service to that part of the
population which is Atheist (10 per cent) is more in tune with
communications ideas of the '90s. No more pamphlet distribution,
no more leaflets, all of our handshakes now are electronic."

For further information contact: Jon Murray, President American
Atheists, at (512) 458-1244 or (512) 458-1271.


**************************************************************

Text prepared and distributed by American Atheist Online
Services, P O Box 140195, Austin, TX 78714-0195. Voice: (512)
458-1244. BBS: (512) 302-0223.

This text may be freely downloaded, reprinted, and/other
otherwise redistributed, provided appropriate point of origin
credit is given to American Atheist Online Services.