Public Service Announcement Development

Programs that help nonprofit organizations, informal community service organizations and governmental entities develop and place public service announcements (PSAs) which may be used to raise consciousness, educate the public, announce an event, or generate funds or other material resources, but which may contain no blatant commercial messages. Tasks include identifying and creating positive working relationships with radio and television staff assigned to handle public affairs; determining the lead time they require (generally six weeks); identifying the intended audience, the message and the most appropriate medium for it; determining the format for the PSA (tape or printed copy) and the station's format requirements; making a personal appeal for utilization of a particular PSA; developing 10 to 60 second versions of the announcement for use in different time slots; arranging for production of the PSA, particularly for television spots; assembling and submitting necessary supporting materials; tracking how often and when the announcement ran; and thanking the radio/television personnel in writing for their support.