A brief proposal was submitted and immediately passed along for review by HBO New York for a series that would have included episodes on an initial overview and framework for discussion, roundtable of discussions by lead industry decision makers on industry trends and decision making, and ended with a live and interactive national town forum later called, “Giving a Voice to America.”

By its very nature, this trilogy of events would have been a media event in itself that other media could not ignore, and greatly enhanced HBO's status as an industry leader and innovator.  It also would have created far greater public awareness of HBO's ongoing original programming for all ages and groups and could have expanded HBO's subscription base in promoting such high profile viewing on free HBO weekends.

As an innovative adjunct to these programs and intended surrounding media coverage, the project’s creator and principal put components in motion to engage and mobilize myriad industry and public shareholders by seeking their input on the process while providing a conceptual and organizational frameworks for action.

HBO was gearing up to launch six new channels and finally passed on the projects as proposed as the combination of endeavors was too large to take on at once.  An alternate proposal was then submitted for much smaller “48 Hours” type program or short series that incorporated all elements of the above in one integrated project called, “Beyond Twentysomething: The Coming of Age in American Media.” As with the first version, the issues were seen very much within the needs and trends of the larger social and global issues unfolding at the time, and as such were submitted with the secondary possibility of generating a larger series to be called, “America at the Crossroads.”

This documentary/pilot proposed a dynamic three-part blending of documentary and reality programming that would have woven: 1) tracking young media professionals racing to get projects in motion (while keeping their jobs); 2) talking head interviews with media leaders and players trying to navigate a shifting universe; and, 3) the unfolding backdrop and parallel ticking clock off setting up real town meetings around the US to capture the real needs and interests of the consuming public in their own voices.  A major studio was willing to discuss allowing documentation of its own development execs and processes and industry professionals across the industry were eager to take part.

This version sought even more specifically to generate real world media advocacy and coalition building with the additional aim of including that process in the documentary footage. It anticipated considerable reality programming to follow in more recent years and still offered the framework for initiating industry wide involvement and coalition building for effective influence on industry and social change. It was ultimately a pass, albeit with a continued open door and invitation to submit any and all future projects or ideas. It also turned out to be somewhat prophetic in its focus and predictions of industry forces and trends.