Public Service Announcements (PSAs)

Public service announcements (PSAs) are public relations tools used to broadcast announcements free of cost. The tradition of the Federal Communications Commission has been to expect television and radio broadcasting companies to demonstrate their community responsibility by providing free air space for important, noncommercial announcements. Because radio and television stations prosper through the sale of advertising time, they are reluctant to provide very much time and space for such announcements.

Such announcements have real value to nonprofit organizations, which can use them to notify members of the community of some event, such as a blood drive, or some need, such as limited available supplies of blood for transfusions. At times, companies can also qualify for free advertising time by being engaged in some community activity that the stations deem valuable enough to broadcast. Perhaps large and continuing commercial advertising time purchases qualify these businesses for free time for PSAs.

At various times, PSAs have been viewed as not worth the effort. All too often stations were only willing to run them at extraordinarily low viewer or listener times. Many of these ran in the late night and early morning when stations have a hard time getting advertisers to spend dollars to reach “nonexistent” viewers or listeners.

As times change, so has the future and fortune of PSAs. Many radio and television stations now partner with the more visible and worthy nonprofit organizations. For instance, on a monthly or quarterly basis, a [Page 707]station may take on a strategic partnership that serves to enhance the station's community image. It might promote the Salvation Army at Christmas. It might promote the March of Dimes or the American Heart Association (near Valentine's Day). The station tells of events, perhaps in the news segment, to publicize them. In this way, that version of a PSA actually has more clout that it would if run only as an “ad.”

Radio and television stations may also agree to cover events, such as a charity fundraiser. They announce its day and build up to then. They cover the event and report on its success as a fundraiser. This is viewed as “soft news,” which gives the image that the station cares about the community and serves the role of publicizing the event, the cause, and the nonprofit organization.

Radio and television stations often have a calendar of events. They may announce that periodically during a broadcast day. That tool helps nonprofit organizations to get out word to the listeners and viewers at no charge to the charity. In the broadcast of this information, the station can demonstrate that it is benefiting or serving its broadcast community.

With the advent of the Internet, radio and television stations can go one additional step in this community service. They can indicate that more information on an event or cause “can be found at our Web site.” At the Web site, the station can link to the charity. The charity may also link back to the station, which is a way to repay it for its community service.

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