[Update: Exile adds the very important reminder that we should be nice to WHAM. I agree-- we want to help them help us. We're building a relationship here, and it's in our best interests to channeling our outrage into honest, effective, and considerate communication with them. And here's the email for their sales manager: ddiprosa@13wham.com ]

The pressure we’re applying to ABC is making headway– Variety magazine reports that ABC is considering pulling “The Path to 9/11″. Let’s help them make up their mind the rest of the way. In the interest of “working smarter, not harder”, here’s some good advice from a veteran network ad buyer on fine-tuning how we approach network afflilates.

Networks care about two things, and you’re not one of them.

There are three “A’s” in the world of television. In order of importance to the networks, they are:

1. Advertisers
2. Affiliates
3. Audience

…

So how should the netroots pressure advertisers, if they’re unlikely to pull out and jeopardize their “Grey’s Anatomy” rates? The only real effective route is organized boycott.

…

The only real way to pressure the local affiliate is to stop watching their news. If you do that, the affiliate will exert its pressure uphill, to the network. And the network can hardly afford to piss off its affiliates.

…

THIS IS IMPORTANT: many of you have been sending emails to your local affiliates via their websites. Those emails, in the vast majority of cases, are going to the affiliate’s Program Director. To be effective, you must send your emails to the General Sales Manager. He/she is the one person most concerned with the boycotts, news viewership, and the correlation between ratings and ad revenue.

…

[If you own a DVR,] Your cable or satellite company (DirecTV, Dish Network) is reporting to ABC (and the other networks) what programs you have on a “timer.” If your DVR, for instance, is set to record “Desperate Housewives” or “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC likely knows it. And those ratings projections will go up, along with ad rates, and finally, the profit in Mickey’s pocket.

Last night, I deleted all my ABC timers.

So, in summary:

1. Organized boycott of advertisers
2. Tell our local ABC that you are going to stop watching their news
3. Delete your ABC timers on your DVR (if you have one)

So who’s our local ABC General Sales Manager? When I go to their website, there’s a link for an email address to “13WHAM TV Sales“. Anyone with better info than that? I gotta run at the moment.

Good stuff, and good to keep in our back pocket for the next time garbage like this one gets past the reality radar.