• November 29, 2004

Jim Belushi, the star of ABC's "According to Jim," will be the luncheon speaker at the Family Friendly Programming Forum's (FFPF) second annual symposium, to be held today in Los Angeles at the Four Seasons Hotel.

Belushi's show, "According to Jim," is one of the nominees by the FFPF for best family-friendly comedy in the Sixth Annual Family Television Awards, which will take place on December 1 in Los Angeles at The Beverly Hilton.

Belushi will speak to the audience of media luminaries and major global advertisers about the importance of family-oriented programming, and his experience in building the characters on "According to Jim" to be strong role models for the viewing public.

The symposium is sponsored jointly by the Association of National Advertisers and The National Council for Families and Television. Entertainment and media industry leaders scheduled to participate include Gail Berman, president, entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company; Steve McPherson, president, prime time entertainment, ABC; Kevin Reilly, president, entertainment, NBC; and David Janollari, president, entertainment, The WB, in addition to the heads of advertising for leading marketers including Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg, Pfizer, P&G, and Wendy's, among others.

The Family Friendly Programming Forum is a group of over 40 major national advertisers, all members of the Association of National Advertisers, who are taking positive steps to increase family-friendly programming choices on television.