AFJP on Television, Radio and Media
Thorne seeks the opportunity to carry the AFJP message through television appearances whenever possible.
CPR TV
Since June 2006 Thorne has appeared on CPR TV - a weekly, one-hour television program in the St. Paul-Minneapolis area - to inform and educate the public about family law reform issues. Thorne co-hosts the show with Molly Olson, Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Parental Responsibility, a Minnesota-based education and advocacy group.
In addition to being seen throughout the St. Paul-Minneapolis metropolitan area, CPR TV is distributed statewide throughout Minnesota and in several other states in the upper mid-west. The producers of CPR TV intend to continue increasing the geographic coverage of the show.
The CPR TV show format is an interview of an expert on various aspects of family law, with commentary by the show hosts. Guests include:
Dr. Patrick Fagan, psychologist, former Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, and now Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Family and Religion at the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C.;
Dr. Gordon Finley, psychologist, researcher, and professor at Florida International University; and
Dr. Christina Hoff Sommers, philosopher, former ethics professor at Clark University, author of “Who Stole Feminism? How Women Have Betrayed Women”, and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research in Washington, D.C.
Thorne and the other principals who produced CPR TV have agreed to work on producing a comparable show suitable for nationwide distribution through the Family Law Reform Television Network. Work on the nationwide show format is ongoing.
The “Families and Children Really Matter” Show
In August 2007, Thorne appeared as a guest on two episodes of “Families and Children Really Matter”, a ½ hour television show by the producer who has broadcast more than 400 shows about family issues in the New York metropolitan area over the past 8 years.
“Families and Children Really Matter” is regularly presented in the New York metropolitan area on two different cable channels (one for public access and one for government or educational content) that have a potential audience of 7 million people. Thorne has been invited to appear again on “Families and Children Really Matter” whenever his schedule permits.
Radio
Thorne frequently appears on radio to speak on family law reform issues. Some of his radio appearances are highlighted below.
During 2006 Thorne made numerous appearances on “PEP Talk”, the weekly radio show of People for Equal Parenting. “PEP Talk” was on KSEV-AM 700, the second-ranked all-talk station in the Houston, Texas market, and became the largest syndicated parental interest talk show in Texas.
On 25 January 2006 Thorne appeared for three prime time hours on the Dan Conry Show on KTLK-FM 100.3, an all-talk 100,000 watt “blowtorch” station in Minneapolis, Minnesota that reaches the entire upper mid-west.
On 29 September 2006 Thorne appeared on the Jerry Newcombe Show on WAFG-FM 90.3, an all-talk station that originates at the headquarters of Coral Ridge Ministries in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
On 27 August 2007 Thorne again appeared on KTLK-FM 100.3 (the all-talk 100,000 watt station in Minneapolis, Minnesota), this time for one prime time hour on the Jason Lewis Show. Thorne was invited to appear with Molly Olson, founder and Executive Director of the Center for Parental Responsibility, to discuss issues and trends in Minnesota family law. More recently, Jason Lewis has been a frequent guest host on the Rush Limbaugh Show.
In 2009 Thorne appeared on WGOW-FM 102.3 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, an all-talk radio station known as "The Talk Monster". The station's format features a mix of local and syndicated hosts. Thorne talked with local host Jeff Styles about issues and trends in Tennessee family law.
Media Projects
Thorne will participate in media projects designed to educate the bench, the bar, and the public about the many problems experienced by parents and children in the current family law system and, more importantly, solutions to those problems.
In cooperation with Seeber Video and Film of St. Paul, Minnesota, Thorne is working on production of a Continuing Legal Education video program for family court judges and lawyers about the Constitutional rights of parents and children in family court.
Thorne was involved in production of a documentary film entitled “Support: System Down” produced by Aginelo Productions in Los Angeles, California. The film is currently in the post-production phase.
In late 2008, Thorne agreed to be the subject of “Thorne: The Regulator”, a documentary television show that follows his work and allows a nationwide audience to understand how family courts operate and the effect they have on real people. Thorne’s work on a pilot and initial episodes of the program is complete, and the show is in the post-production phase.