Spike TV launches national effort to urge men to get checkups (12100)

Cable television network Spike TV this week announced the launch of "Check Up or Check Out," a campaign directed at improving men's health by urging them to have annual checkups. The campaign was launched Tuesday at a press conference in New York City featuring campaign chairman Rudolph Giuliani, former mayor of New York, and Spike TV president Albie Hecht. The campaign hopes to prompt at least 100,000 men to visit their doctors for an annual checkup before the end of 2004 and to boost that number to more than 1 million men by the end of 2005. Spike TV is supporting the campaign with more than $5 million in public service announcements, original television programming, local community outreach, and free community health events. The campaign was developed in conjunction with the Men's Health Network and the National Medical Association.

"Every man should have an annual physical examination. Too many men remain reluctant to visit the doctor on a regular basis, apparently believing that they can afford to wait until they don't feel well," said Giuliani in a Spike TV press release. "In my case, a routine physical just may have saved my life, since that is how my doctor discovered that I had prostate cancer. Because of my annual physical, I found out early enough to treat it. Today, I am healthy. I applaud Spike TV for taking the lead with 'Check Up or Check Out,' and I join them in urging men not to let a year go by without a thorough physical examination."

For more information about the "Check Up or Check Out" campaign visit the Spike TV Web site at www.spiketv.com.