With  songs such as “Freedom” and “Save our Jobs” chants in the background, reporter Bill Cohen reports on the “massive rally” earlier this week with the “folks who own and work at the stores who came from across Ohio.”

With soundbites from D. Lynn DeVault (CFSA president), Jamie Frauenberg (Checksmart Sr VP), Karen Findlay (Advance America employee), Senators Bob Schuler and Joy Padgett as well as those who want to ban the industry, Cohen presents a balanced piece on the  debate in Ohio.  Thanks to Cohen for taking the time to attend the rally and speak to those most impacted by the proposed ban. Journalism as it should be.

Yesterday’s rally at the Ohio capitol picked up some good broadcast coverage.   Stories on the event ran on 11 stations and reached an estimated 2,663,781 according to Nielsen ratings.

• ONN-OHIO CABLE Ohio Statewide
• WKYC-NBC Cleveland-Akron-Canton
• WCMH-NBC Columbus
• WSYX-ABC Columbus
• WBNS-CBS Columbus
• WHIO-CBS Dayton
• WTOV-NBC Steubenville, OH 
• WTOL-CBS Toledo
• WUPW-FOX Toledo
• WYTV-ABC Youngstown
• WYFX-FOX Youngstown

Click here. 

Columbus Dispatch estimates our crowd at 2,500:

An estimated 2,500 supporters of the payday-lending industry held a rally today at the Statehouse to urge the Ohio Senate to reject new  legislation to regulate the industry.

Read the whole thing here.

Please note that this segment from WBNS was taken before the rally started and didn’t capture the 2000+ employees that were there.

Rally was a huge success.  Well over 2,000 employees.  Speakers included industry CEOs, employees, a state senator and small lenders.     Lots of media to get the message out.  

The word from people on the ground is that more than 2,000 payday lending employees are there and they’re really letting lawmakers hear them.   Lots of media coverage as well.

More pics to come.