The Center for Communications, Health and the Environment (CECHE) developed a 5-part television series focusing on the health and environmental threats facing families in Russia and Central Europe.

The series was broadcast on national television channels in 17 countries in Central Europe and the Newly Independent States to a potential audience of over 300 million people. The data for viewer response in Hungary showed that over a million and a half people tuned in to the A Family Year series.

Hungarian, Russian, Polish and Czech viewers all reported substantial gains in health and environmental knowledge and motivation to improve lifestyle. A majority of Hungarian (64%) and Russian (71.7%) viewers indicated that A Family Year provided practical and useful information. A large majority of Russian viewers (70.3%) also stated that they intended to use the information from the programs to change their lifestyle. 30.1% of Czech viewers reported that they would apply the information from the series to change their lifestyle, 29% reported learning very useful and practical information, and 28.1% learned new information.

95.4% of Russian, 34% of Hungarian, 25.4% of Polish and 16.5% of Czech viewers said they want to change their lifestyle.

In an assessment of actual lifestyle change three months to a year after the television series was broadcast , the Hungarian viewers demonstrated the highest proportion (38%) indicating that they had made a positive change in their lifestyle in accordance with the recommendations in A Family Year. This was followed by Russians (34%), Poles (21%) and the Czechs (16%).

Though a relatively small percentage of Czech viewers (16%) indicated a general lifestyle change as a result of watching A Family Year, a much larger - 53.7%, reported eating more fruits and vegetables, 37.8% reported eating more whole grains and breads and 36.5% stated they had reduced their fat intake in accordance with recommendations in A Family Year. Czech viewers also stated that they exercised more (35.1%), lowered their salt intake (31.1%), drank less alcohol (22.6%) and improved their cooking habits (22.5%). Among the Hungarian viewers, the most frequent specific lifestyle change was exercising regularly and eating a healthier diet (both 45%). This was followed by quitting smoking (40%) and eating more whole grains and breads (38.5%). The Russian viewers listed smoking less (85%) and reducing fat intake (75%) as the two most frequent specific lifestyle changes they had adopted.

Preliminary analysis of viewer interviews shows that 89% would like to see more such programming.