SOUTHWESTERN BELL MISSOURI SPOT #1

GIRL [thick British accent]: The information superhighway … it’s
coming … you can’t see it … it’s everywhere … and it isn’t anywhere
… [more and more perplexed, Monty-Pythonish] — actually, it must
be somewhere … unless it’s [trailing off] nowhere …

SPOKESPERSON: Are you confused by all this talk about the
“information superhighway”? Feel like you haven’t even backed out
of the “information driveway”? It’s no wonder — there’s been a lot of
hype, but not much straight talk.

It’s true, there is an information highway coming — a vast fiber optic
network. It could let children share in classes thousands of miles
away, let doctors diagnose problems long distance, and create new
and better jobs.

The question is, who’s going to be on this “superhighway”? Only
wealthy school districts, private hospitals, and Fortune 500
companies? Southwestern Bell wants to see this highway run
through every school, every hospital, and every community in
Missouri.

At Southwestern Bell, we want to invest millions of dollars in a statewide
fiber optic network — but outdated regulations stand in the
way.

We need new regulations that will get us all out of the driveway and
onto the information superhighway: Southwestern Bell wants to
connect you to the future.

SOUTHWESTERN BELL MISSOURI SPOT #2

[Child sitting in front of a video display]

VOICEOVER: Have you ever sat in a classroom thousands of miles
away?

[Sound of goofy polka music. Camera pans to front of screen and we
see absurdly dressed Bavarian polka band.]

CHILD: But what is polka?

MAN [in ridiculous outfit and with strong Bavarian accent]: Goot
kvestion!

SPOKESPERSON: Are you confused by all this hype about the
information superhighway? It’s true, there is an information
highway coming — a vast fiber optic network — and it could
revolutionize the way our children learn.

Schools could be linked to libraries, to universities, and to other
schools — kids could study with experts thousands of miles away,
and make friends with students in other countries.

Remember what taking a field trip was like — crammed into those
yellow buses for hours just to visit a trout farm in the next county?
With this technology, kids could visit museums, historical places,
even foreign countries — all without leaving the classroom.

But the real question is, will wealthy school districts be the only ones
who benefit? Southwestern Bell wants to make sure the information
superhighway runs through every school in Missouri.

We want to invest millions of dollars in a state-wide fiber optic
network — but outdated regulations stand in the way.
We need new regulations, to ensure that every child gets access to the
best education possible: Southwestern Bell wants to connect you to
the future.

SOUTHWESTERN BELL MISSOURI SPOT #3

[Well-dressed middle-aged woman in busy airport is talking to video
terminal; we see her but not the screen]

VOICEOVER: Have you ever said goodnight to the ones you love
from a thousand miles away?

WOMAN: Goodnight, darlings — I love you!

[Cut to view over her shoulder — the screen shows three poodles
done up in ribbons looking back at us]

SPOKESPERSON: Are you confused by all this hype about the
information superhighway? Well, there is an information highway
coming — a vast fiber optic network — but the pictures that travel on
it could do a lot more than let people say a long distance goodnight.
Doctors, for instance, could send X-rays, CAT scans, and cardiograms
immediately to specialists for expert diagnosis.

Rural hospitals could have instant access to the life-saving resources
of major medical centers.

Doctors in different hospitals could hold face-to-face consultations,
and even if patients were miles away they could see their doctor
without having to wait in the office (— of course, we’d all miss
catching up on those back issues of Field and Stream).

But the real question is, will wealthy private hospitals be the only
ones who benefit? Southwestern Bell wants to make sure the
information superhighway runs through every hospital in Missouri.
We want to invest millions of dollars in a state-wide fiber optic
network — but outdated regulations are holding us back.
We need new regulations, to ensure that everyone gets this life-saving
technology: Southwestern Bell wants to connect you to the future.

SOUTHWESTERN BELL MISSOURI SPOT #4

SPOKESPERSON: You’ve heard me talk about the “information
superhighway” — a fiber optic network that would let children share
in classes thousands of miles away, let doctors diagnose problems
long distance, and create new and better jobs for Missouri.

Southwestern Bell is ready to invest millions of dollars to put us all
on this superhighway now — but outdated regulations have slowed
things down.

When Southwestern Bell was part of the Ma Bell system, it was only
fair that its profits be tightly controlled. But times have changed.
Let’s talk straight — today, Southwestern Bell is on its own, in a new,
highly competitive market. We don’t want an end to regulation —
but we do want new regulation.

Here’s the bargain: we want to control our own profits, like our
competitors already do. In return, we’ll use this profit to invest
millions of dollars in a statewide fiber optic network — Southwestern
Bell wants to see the information superhighway run through every
school, every hospital, every community in Missouri.

Let’s get the regulations changed — Southwestern Bell is ready to
connect us all to a better future today.

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