In an effort to raise awareness about consumer issues, the Agency engaged regularly with the media on myriad topics, including data breaches, scams, debt and credit card reform, credit reports, identity theft, safety issues, home improvement advice and scams, smart shopping, and other issues.
Given the scope of our broadcast and digital media activities, the Agency's profile and resources continued to receive significant exposure from various outlets in FY 2009-2010. Capital District television stations, including the local CBS, NBC and ABC stations, News Channel 9 and Fox, as well as stations in New York City, Buffalo, Watertown, and Binghamton featured CPB-related stories and interviews. Newspapers such as the Gannett Papers, the Times Union, Democrat and Chronicle, Poughkeepsie Journal, Mt. Vernon Inquirer, Watertown Times, Troy Record, Press and Sun, Daily Sentinel, North Country Gazette, Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Yonkers Tribune, Queens Chronicle, Farmingdale Observer, Press Republican, Ithaca Journal, Buffalo News, Utica Daily Observer, Legislative Gazette and others continued to give prominence to the Agency's work. In the radio arena, the CPB was regularly featured by WGY-810 in Albany and our alerts and information have been reported by numerous radio stations statewide.
In addition to on-air interviews and broadcasts, networks from around the State and Internet-based media outlets referred to the CPB for background information and assistance on a regular basis. Further, the CPB information continues to rank towards the top of Google News search alerts related to consumer credit and other topics.
To further inform the public, cable broadcasts by legislators, State agencies and others featured the CPB's Chairperson and Executive Director and Agency materials. Additionally, the CPB regularly issued its newsletter, "The Consumer Watchdog" and placed several articles highlighting consumer issues and programs in organizational publications, including newsletters from the Office of General Services, Association of Towns and the Association of Funeral Directors.
Highlights of the Agency's media activities and recurring features are noted below.
Latino Community
This past year, the CPB continued issuing its electronic Spanish-language newsletter, "El Consumidor Latino," which addresses consumer issues specific to the Latino community. The newsletter complemented the Agency's expanded Spanish-language webpage, featuring current content on children's safety, identity theft, financial life skills, homeownership and maintenance, smart shopping and scams, and a kids' page. The Agency's monthly online ConsumerCast audio podcast was also produced in Spanish.
The CPB has increased its presence in the Latino media, partnering with news organizations to disseminate consumer information to the public in Spanish. The CPB continued it's monthly news column in the major New York Latino print publications, such as El Diario, El Aguila, Latino New York magazine, and El Especial. The CPB's information was frequently broadcast to the public on television (e.g., Univision, Telemundo), over the radio (e.g., Mega radio), and through the Internet. The topics covered included identity theft, scam prevention, immigration fraud, and credit card reforms. The CPB partnered with the Hispanic Information and Technology Network (HITN) appearing regularly on this outlet to provide information to consumers about current marketplace issues, such as the digital television transition and scams relating to the federal economic stimulus package. The CPB also worked with WADO 1280 AM radio in New York City to broadcast the Agency's lottery scam prevention-related public service announcement.
Visually Impaired: RISE Radio
Through collaboration with RISE radio, WMHT's 24 hour radio information service for individuals with visual impairments in New York's Capital Region and Hudson Valley, the CPB's Chairperson and Executive Director, Mindy A. Bockstein, was featured on a recurring monthly consumer protection broadcast. RISE works through Albany's public broadcasting station, and transmits on a sub-carrier of the main WMHT-FM signal and a specially tuned table-top radio receiver, providing listeners with access to readings of local and national newspapers, popular periodicals and books, as well as special programming.
Public Broadcasting: WMHT
Over the last year, the CPB assisted the Albany-based Public Broadcast Station (PBS) WMHT in formulating and producing their Help Wanted! program. Help Wanted! was a 26-segment weekly television series, appearing on PBS affiliates, and multimedia project designed to help New Yorkers deal with the current economic crisis that is dramatically affecting individuals and families across the State. To address these challenges, Help Wanted! focused on four key areas: employment, job training, consumer protection, and family finances. The CPB was an integral partner in this venture. The CPB and/or its information were included in every segment as the Agency was selected to represent consumer protection aspects. Additionally, the Chairperson and Executive Director appeared in a segment devoted to scam prevention.
WVOX and WGY
The CPB began its own monthly radio program, "New York Consumer Watch," on WVOX in Westchester. The program covers a wide array of issues and takes phone calls from listeners.
Radio 810-WGY in the Capital District hosted and continues to have the CPB's Chairperson and Executive Director on Sunday broadcasts. Each month, a current topic is discussed.
Cablevision News 12
The CPB was and continues to be featured in a monthly segment on Cablevision News 12 covering the lower Hudson Valley, and focusing on issues such as scam alerts, the latest credit card reforms, carbon monoxide safety tips and how to cope with a data breach.
WGY-TV
During this fiscal year, the CPB developed a collaboration with the cable-based television program "Our Time," geared for people 55 and older and produced by WGY-TV Channel 8 based in Glens Falls, NY. CPB Chairperson and Executive Director Bockstein has appeared in numerous "columns" to date, about different topics such as, tax preparation scams, home improvement contractor scams, credit card reform, stretch your dollar campaign, financial education for children, summer safety, holiday scams, and more.
Free Community Newspaper
In partnership with the Free Community Newspapers Association, the CPB's safety public service announcement continued to appear on a weekly basis in free community newspapers around the State. The advertisement reminds consumers to check for recalled items in their homes and when making purchases at garage sales.
Additionally this fiscal year, the CPB expanded upon this partnership to include a monthly consumer protection news column.