Help from the Big Guy for Media Bigwigs

By Brian Lowry

THIS MIGHT COME AS A SURPRISE, but next week—in the midst of the February rating sweeps—thousands of people are expected to pray for Lloyd Braun. And no, they're not all Disney stockholders.

Still, the ABC Entertainment Group chairman isn't alone. The same folks are being urged to pray this month for Lifetime's Carole Black and Time Warner's Jeff Bewkes. They're saying a little prayer for ICM's Jeff Berg and NBC's Tom Brokaw, for producers Mark Burnett and Jerry Bruckheimer. Fans of the King of Kings will hail "King of the World" James Cameron, too, along with Mel Brooks, Cher and Sean "P. Diddy" Combs.

Already blessed several times over, the producing trio behind "Friends" gets its moment on Valentine's Day. There were even prayers in January for the Allens—Herb, Paul, Woody and Byron.
So go the days of our lives on The Media Leader Prayer Calendar, which calls upon evangelical Christians to pray that media bigwigs and "cultural influencers" forge "a deeper relationship" with God. In addition, the faithful ask God to "infuse the decisions of these people with a strong, moral dimension and with a commitment to use the mighty power of media to uplift, inspire and unify."

An "extreme makeover" for the soul, if you will.

ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY, the calendar is assembled by Mastermedia International, a Redlands, Calif.-based nonprofit organization whose stated goal is to establish "bridges of
communication" between Christians and media through consultation with industry leaders.

Unlike the many cultural warriors that fund-raise on the back of the Hollywood bogeyman, Mastermedia's philosophy is to engage execs "positively and proactively," said West Coast president Buster Holmes, while endeavoring to help them better understand the Christian market.

In what amounts to missionary work, I met Holmes at the NATPE convention in Las Vegas, where some industry leaders could be found taking the Lord's name in vain at the blackjack tables.

Sweeps might not be the ideal month for prayer to yield dividends, but hope springs eternal. Moreover, given the size of the Christian community, Holmes contends that Mastermedia can make the case to be taken seriously strictly predicated on the bottom line. "We think it would be to your benefit, long term, to appeal to these people, or [at least] not to offend them," he said, summarizing his pitch to execs.

IT'S EASY FOR SECULAR TYPES to be jaded and dismissive, but a schism clearly exists between devout Christians and the elite media, highlighted in recent weeks by the latter's indignation regarding The Passion of the Christ. Columnists such as the New York Times' Frank Rich have teed off on the film—a barrage director Mel Gibson's camp has quietly endured in rope-a-dope fashion, seemingly happy to bathe in the promotional benefits. (Without belittling concerns about fomenting anti-Semitism, I have a hard time believing many people will seek religious instruction from the star of the Lethal Weapon and Mad Max movies.)

Mastermedia's strategy stands apart from the confrontational tactics employed by the American Family Association or Parents Television Council, which tend to advocate sponsor boycotts first and ask questions later. "I guess being prayed for is better than being yelled at," Holmes said, citing the rationale behind a more cooperative approach.

Braun, for one, said he's thrilled by the good vibrations, "since the only place I can seem to escape American Idol is the kitchen of my house." Showtime CEO Matthew Blank, one of next week's prayer objects, also welcomes the hosannas but suggests invoking a higher power. "I'll take all the help I can get, but it would be more helpful if they just talked to Sumner or Mel," he quipped, referring to Viacom bosses Sumner Redstone and Mel Karmazin, who, by most accounts, are richer than God.

More than a thousand showbiz heavyweights, from Roger Ailes to Edward Zwick, have been highlighted since the regularly updated prayer calendar was introduced in 1989, and Holmes cites an "interesting series of coincidences" connected with being included. Scanning the current list, I did notice Fox's Gail Berman turned up last month not long after American Idol began kicking the crap out of everybody.

So although I'm not especially pious, my alphabetical window should be somewhere in the early summer, and as my late grandmother might have said, "It couldn't hurt."

AN EYE FOR THE EYE: Speaking of biblical wrath, here's a quick rundown of the public-relations plagues that have beset CBS in the last 12 months: The Masters "men-only" golf, proposed reality version of The Beverly Hillbillies, Hitler miniseries, Jessica Lynch package interview offer, The Reagans miniseries, Michael Jackson special/60 Minutes interview, rejected MoveOn.org Super Bowl ad, Janet Jackson breast-baring incident.

Not to sound superstitious, but if it starts raining frogs, I'm betting they won't fall on the WB.

Read the article as it was posted Tue., Feb. 3, 2004, 6:07pm PT on variety.com.

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