[Moon-net] EME Publicity Opportunity/Oprah Winfrey

[Pat Barthelow]

EMEers:

Tonight's Oprah Winfrey Shown (with a worldwide audience)  had a very long 
segment where a technical wizard explained in easy to understand terms how 
various technologies work, such as a Microwave Oven, Telephone, Television, 
Stock trading, etc.

Oprah, and the audience were amazed, mesmerized, and smiling, lots of ooohs, 
and aaahs, and,  as tecnologically illiterate as they were, they enjoyed the 
"Mr Wizard" style explanations of how things worked.  They even made a call 
to Oprah's friend in New York, as a demo to explain how long distance 
telephone calls work.

Most of you remember the very well done Jay Leno Show, where Skip Margelli 
and an other Ham friend competed, using morse code,  with a champion text 
messenger for fastest time to send a message.  The Leno Show piece was very 
well done,  fun to watch, and painted ham radio in a very good light, and 
many of my non-ham friends  still remember seeing the piece.  (You can find 
a tape of the piece on the web.)

I bet, based on what I saw tonight, that if someone offered to demo an EME 
contact on the Oprah Winfrey Show, and explained how it worked, that the 
offer would be warmly accepted, and that the Winfrey Show would cover some 
costs to set the EME station up, for the show.   A very capable EME station 
would have to be done, I believe, and if it had the ability to do a 2 way 
voice contact, it would flabbergast  Oprah, and the studio audience, and 
millions, of Oprah's audience,  all over the world.

Allow Oprah to say into the Mic, HELLO?  and then wait for the delayed echo, 
of Oprah's voice easily recognizable, returning 2.5 seconds later.   I am 
sure Oprah, and the audience would be stunned, nearly fall over to hear 
their voice echo from the moon.  It would go over very, very well, I am 
sure.
If for some reason the Oprah show declined, then an offer to the Jay Leno 
Show might also be accepted.

Then, to cap off the piece, do a two way voice contact with another EME'er.
It would be a great opportunity to present ham radio in a favorable light, 
and if it was emphasized that it presents an interesting way to encourage 
young people to get interested in the Sciences, so much the better.  In 
fact, have a licensed, young woman ham operator be lead in the demo, on the 
show..
Careful scheduling and prior rehearsals would have to be done.

Someone with a very capable EME station or the ability to set up a very 
capable EME antenna array with a studio feed,  in Chicago, where the Oprah 
show is taped, should contact HARPO productions, Oprah's production company, 
and make a proposal....I would be willing to bet that they would fund some 
of the expenses of setting up the demo.

What say, guys and Gals?

73, DX, de Pat AA6EG aa6eg at hotmail.com;
Skype: Sparky599
Moon or Bust!--Jamesburg Gang Rides Again!