In Egypt, television contributed decisively to the rise in contraceptive prevalence from 37.8% in 1988 to 47.1% in 1992. The 1992 Egyptian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS-92) showed that 73% of men and 71% of women cited television as their first source of information about family planning. Factors that account for the success of television in spreading the family planning message are: full political and religious support, strategic planning, innovative programming, a no-nonsense approach to providing family planning information, and action by an array of public, private voluntary and commercial family planning organizations. The State Information Service Information Education and Communication Center (SIS/IEC Center) within the Ministry of Information produced appropriate messages and programs to promote family planning acceptance and practice. Television was selected as a mainstay of the IEC program for family planning. Between 1988 and 1992 SIS had produced over 30 TV spots, airing them four times daily, and produced several prime-time TV dramas. In a television broadcast in the late 1980s, Mufti Mohamed Sayed Tantawe issued a decree supporting family planning. The decree induced clergymen and other opinion leaders in the villages to open advocacy of family planning. Local outreach activities were especially effective in promoting family planning acceptance among local influential men. A high-quality seventeen episode drama entitled, And the Nile Flows On, met with immediate critical success. The drama tackled the issues of the religious acceptability of family planning, the preference of sons over daughters, and the risk of closely-spaced births. Subsequently, 57% of viewers expressed their intention to visit a clinic as compared to 37% of nonviewers. The 1992 EDHS showed that 70.3% of women identified television as their first source of information regarding family planning. Relatives and friends were next at 21.7%. The Egyptian experience in utilization of mass media for family planning promotion provides valuable lessons for others.