During the summer of 1993 the AFA purchased full-page ads in "The New York Times", "USA Today", and "Los Angeles Times" denouncing the sexual and violent content of the upcoming ABC police drama "NYPD Blue". It also urged ABC affiliates not to broadcast the program and citizens to boycott sponsors of "Blue". About a quarter of the 225 existing ABC stations followed suit, but such affiliates were mostly in rural areas of the US. The AFA campaign increased hype for the show in larger American media markets, and "Blue" became one of the most popular shows of the 1993–1994 television season.