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News

Barrett Inspires Saugus High Students to "Dream Big."

March 30, 2006   Saugus, Massachusetts

During the fifty minutes Saugus High Seniors usually spend learning Calculus, Donald Barrett gave them an inspirational glimpse into what their future can hold - if they "dream big."

A graduate of Saugus High, Class of '93, Barrett was not necessarily the best student. Yet today, at just 31, Donald is founder, President and Chairman of ITV. ITV is revolutionizing the Direct Response industry (also known as advertising by infomercials) with its unique in-house setup. After just six years on the map, ITV has exploded out of its infancy and brings in millions in sales annually. Donald has attracted a loyal and talented group of professionals that help make ITV what it is today, but no one would deny that it is Donald's blood that drives the heartbeat of his pioneering young company.

Donald's message to the students was simple, yet it is one that many youths have difficulty believing. He told them, "If you put your mind to it, you will succeed." He reminded them not to give up when they confront a problem. Instead of giving up they need to rise above the challenge and succeed.

"You have to want it, and see it so you can make it happen." He also told them that it doesn't matter if they are good at something or not. He reassured them that, "If you have a great attitude, set goals and aim high, you will get where you want to go." Of his rise from pizza chef to owner of a multi-million dollar company, Donald said, "Everyone told me I couldn't do it, that I was just a pizza guy dreaming big."

The class' Math teacher, Mrs. Laurie Golan invited Donald to speak in her class. Golan was also Donald's High School math teacher. She remembered Donald as an energetic youth, even though he was not a star student. Golan asked Donald to tell his story to her students, and express how he took his greatest strengths - his creativity, energy and drive - to make himself successful. Donald is a strong believer in ongoing self-education, and also impressed upon the students an important personal message: he does not use or condone the use of prescription or non-prescription drugs.

Donald presented each student with a book and an audio CD containing inspirational messages that have been extremely influential to his success. He gave copies of the book, The Magic of Thinking Big, by David J. Schwartz, Ph.D. and an audio CD entitled The Strangest Secret for Succeeding in the World Today by Earl Nightingale. Donald also invited the students to participate in a "Shadow Day" hosted by ITV where they will get an even richer taste of success, as well as a ride to lunch in the new company limo.

ITV President Presents Award to Local Hero

March 30, 2006   Danvers, Massachusetts

At an early morning breakfast organized by the American Red Cross, Donald Barrett, President & Chairman of ITV, presented an award to Steve Hoggard of Byfield, Massachusetts for his outstanding bravery in the face of danger. Steve Hoggard was driving along Route One in Byfield when he spotted a vehicle consumed in flames. While many other cars continued to pass by, Steve pulled over and found the driver, William Hughes, injured and disoriented. Steve successfully guided William to safety and may have saved a life.

Of Steve's outstanding bravery, Barrett said "We want to thank you from ITV. A hero is someone who has really no fear in the face of danger for a just cause. We at ITV want to thank you, and salute you in giving you this award. Thank you."

The main event of this year's breakfast was the moving presentation of the Memorial Hero Award. This year's award was given in memory of Army 1st Lt. Derek S. Hines, a local man who died on September 1, 2005 in Afghanistan, serving his country in Operation Enduring Freedom. The Memorial Hero Award was presented to the Hines family: his parents Steven and Sue and his brother, Trevor. All present were deeply moved by the beauty of Derek's dedication and the tragedy of his loss.

This is ITV's fourth year attending the breakfast as a corporate sponsor. ITV is also a regular contributor to the Red Cross. In the fall of 2005, ITV used their inbound call center to help raise donations for the American Red Cross' Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort. They presented a check to the American Red Cross for over $5,000.

Other ITV staff in attendance were: Kristen Nguyen, Bob Maihos, Michael Anzalone, Steve Paris, Jason Bernabei, and John Maihos.

ITV General Counsel, Michael Sciucco, Congressman Ron Paul, and Attorney Jonathan Emord discuss "Do the FDA and FTC abuse their Power?" on Talk Star Radio

March 11, 2006   Boston, Massachusetts

On March 11, General Counsel at ITV, Michael Sciucco, and Jonathan Emord, Constitutional Attorney and host of Health Law and Politics on www.talkstarradio.com, discussed the Health Freedom Protection Act now pending in Congress. This bill would end FDA and FTC censorship of health information. Emord and his guests discussed the bill, as well as the suppression of health information that inspired this national movement. Attorney Sciucco discussed this hot topic alongside Congressman Ron Paul (principal sponsor of the bill), Steve Wallach (President of American Longevity), and Mike Burst of King Orchards.

Standing up to big government agencies is something most people hope to never do, yet Attorney Sciucco, has been an active leader of the Health Freedom Protection Act HR 4282 (currently pending in the House), and is a zealous advocate of free speech as it relates to dietary supplements. Sciucco became involved with the Health Freedom Protection Act after his employer, ITV, came under close scrutiny by the FTC for marketing dietary supplements.

Sciucco's employer, ITV, promotes and markets products and services that "Positively Impact People.™" In a prescription-happy society, where the pharmaceutical industry touts annual profits in the trillions, ITV has most appropriately found it's niche in the promotion of effective, high-quality, all-natural dietary supplements. These supplements, unlike the majority of prescription drugs, do not carry any scary side effects and provide consumers with a more natural alternative to traditional medicine.

The dietary supplement industry is highly regulated by the FTC, and for some reason ITV has become a specific target for the FTC's scrutiny. This regulation is a frustrating point for the marketers and lawyers of dietary supplements because the standard for what is deemed "competent and reliable evidence," (as it relates to the truthful advertisement of dietary supplements), is extremely vague. ITV will not market any product without first collaborating with internal and external scientists, gathering substantiation and evaluating the quality behind that substantiation.

"The FTC has not once asked us for substantiation on any of our advertisements for the claims we are making." Sciucco reported. "The FTC says we do not have enough [substantiation]. We have so much, to the point that it might be overwhelming for them to sit down and evaluate the science that we have. We do have someone on the staff that is educated in neuroscience, and we consult with PhD's and MD's to make sure we have the scientific evidence we feel we need. Science is a subjective call, some say this is sufficient, others will say it's not."

The dietary supplement market is highly regulated using a vague standard, therefore companies like ITV are extremely limited as to the claims they can make regarding their natural supplements - regardless of weather the claims are in fact true. To make a claim on a dietary supplement, a company has to spend years, and an enormous amount of money to approve their claims with the FDA and FTC. Currently, only drugs can "treat, cure or prevent" any disease, period. Increasingly, more and more conditions are being labeled as diseases: heartburn is now acid reflux disease, hyperactive children have ADHD, and there is even medication for restless leg syndrome.

The FTC has twice attempted, and failed, to shut ITV down without even requesting to see or review the substantiation behind their products. Emord's comment on the FTC's actions against ITV Inc., went as follows: "It is one thing to stop fraud, it is quite another thing to regulate to the extent of denying people their rights under the Fifth Amendment of due process, and to presuming them guilty until they prove themselves innocent, and to detain them and to run them into the mud."

Sciucco and others believe there is a mass suppression of health information in the United States, to such an extent they believe the current system is a violation of First Amendment rights. The Health Freedom Protection Act, currently pending in the house, would end FDA and FTC censorship of health information.

Commenting upon the current situation for marketers of dietary supplements, Sciucco said, that "many companies are forced to settle with the FTC or pull advertisements off the air because they lack the resources to stand up and fight. We are one of the few fighting back. In the marketplace companies like us are starting to rally behind us because we need to get this information out to the people. This is information that can really help people. We can't talk about the benefits as they relate to the products."

For more information about Jonathan Emord and how you can help to end FDA and FTC suppression of health information, click here:

Please help us put an end to FDA and FTC suppression of health information. Sign and return to us a copy of our petition to Congress. Thank you.

Information on Jonathan Emord from Talk Star Radio's website:

Jonathan Emord, the only attorney in history who has defeated the Food and Drug Administration in federal court on six separate occasions, hosts a new show "Health Law and Politics." The program airs every Saturday from 4PM to 6PM Eastern and Sunday from 2PM to 4PM Eastern, via radio stations nationwide and over the Talk Star Radio Network.

Emord's program documents instances of FDA and FTC abuse of power that sacrifice life or liberty. He interviews experts in the fields of health and medicine, litigants in cases against the FDA and the FTC, members of Congress and other government decision makers, and victims of FDA denial of access to medical treatment or health information. He also provides his own expert commentary on the legal and health implications of the government's actions. "We will reveal the cost in human life, health, and liberty of political decisions that protect drug companies from competition at the expense of consumers," Emord said. "We will show how FDA and FTC fail to follow the rule of law, harm those they were designed to help, and ignore the will of Congress, the Courts, and the American people," he said.

To download the archive of the entire radio show, or for more info about Michael Sciucco's interview or Jonathan Emord, please visit: http://www.emord.com/events/radio/