My local news/talk AM station plays the 5 minute ABC news at the top of every hour. Within the 5 minute package are a 60 second spot break in the middle of the newscast (often filled by two 30 second spots) and another 30 second break at the tail end. In the past few months, I have noticed a ton more PSA's during those spotbreaks instead of actual paid ads. Generic sounding things like "support the advertisers that support this radio station" and I think one for the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. I'm pretty sure they're coming from the network since I used to work at this particular news/talk station and we just potted up and aired the 5 minute ABC news at the top of every hour. I used to hear PSA's like this on ABC news just in the middle of the night or on a weekend, never during prime hours. What's going on? ABC not able to sell spots?
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Lots of PSA's on ABC News
- Thread starter Interstate 78
- Start date
At the end of The Huckabee Report there is almost always some PSA. A big part of the time they're ads of some celebrity supposedly calling in to talk about the condition of the National Parks. Even with that I'd rather hear them than the ads selling some kind of infomercial type junk that keep repeating the same toll free number, keep repeating the same toll free number, KEEP REPEATING THE SAME TOLL FREE NUMBER!! :
Just because it sounds like a Public Service Announcement, don't assume that they aren't paying for the spot. My guess is that it is a brokered spot and had a good rate.
DarkStarPDX said:
True but I'm sure that cheesy PSA "everything is going up in price. Good thing there's one thing that's still free. Local radio. Support the advertisers who support this radio station" isn't paid for by anyone. And I'm hearing that a lot lately! :
Interstate 78 said:DarkStarPDX said:
True but I'm sure that cheesy PSA "everything is going up in price. Good thing there's one thing that's still free. Local radio. Support the advertisers who support this radio station" isn't paid for by anyone. And I'm hearing that a lot lately! :
How OLD are those "Local Radio" PSAs now? I know many PSAs go for many years, if not a full decade without an upgrade. But SHEESH!
....and don't EVEN get me started on THIS one.....
http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastf...-breastfeeding-campaign/adcouncil/Soul_60.mp3
It's supposed to be '70s soul music sounding, but it actually comes off sounding like something Frank Zappa would have done.....
I heard one at the end of The Huckabee Report yesterday that has been around for years using clips from Disney's Cinderella saying to make sure you put your little pumpkin in a booster seat until they're 4 ft. 9 in. That had probably been on Paul Harvey's report for a decade or more. But it doesn't seem dated as bad as some others.
Goodness! And I thought PSAs usually were in overnight hours or on small-town stations...
The Smokey Bear "bear sighting in the forest" ad has been playing for years, I still occasionally hear Childhelp ads [the one with the phone message saying "I can't answer because I am abusing my children"], and the Thom Barry Wildlife Land Trust PSAs are also common.
-crainbebo
The Smokey Bear "bear sighting in the forest" ad has been playing for years, I still occasionally hear Childhelp ads [the one with the phone message saying "I can't answer because I am abusing my children"], and the Thom Barry Wildlife Land Trust PSAs are also common.
-crainbebo
I DX in NE IL. Most of the stations I encounter are affiliated with FOX News. A few I noticed are with ABC News, and they are NOT alone.
Example- WXNT 1430 AM (Indianapolis, IN- FOX) almost always has 2 or 3 nasty, Ad Council brand PSAs in their commercial breaks. I am glad that I am not the only one who notices this. KXEL 1540 AM (Waterloo, IA) also has this Ad Council PSA problem.
I think, for some reason, stations like that are just not reaching advertisers. I was told in an e-mail, nearly two years ago (late 2010) by an employee at WLS that they too have started airing Ad Council PSAs. That's because they don't have enough advertising. It's a very unfortunate problem these days.
I have heard various kinds of PSAs. I have heard on WXNT, that mushy, yuppie, folk/classical guitar song about "going green." Some messed up yuppie woman singing it. I have also heard Joe Swanson from Family Guy, reading the forest fire prevention PSAs, as well as: 1. "You don't have to perfect to be a perfect parent" PSAs, 2. Foster Homes/Children, 3. Child Abuse, 4. Bullying (Enough with that!), 5. "Don't Do Drugs," 6. "Don't Drink and Drive," 7. Some from President Obama himself.
I am sorry to say that this will continue until advertising improves. Newer strategies are going to be needed to gain sponsorship and advertising.
Example- WXNT 1430 AM (Indianapolis, IN- FOX) almost always has 2 or 3 nasty, Ad Council brand PSAs in their commercial breaks. I am glad that I am not the only one who notices this. KXEL 1540 AM (Waterloo, IA) also has this Ad Council PSA problem.
I think, for some reason, stations like that are just not reaching advertisers. I was told in an e-mail, nearly two years ago (late 2010) by an employee at WLS that they too have started airing Ad Council PSAs. That's because they don't have enough advertising. It's a very unfortunate problem these days.
I have heard various kinds of PSAs. I have heard on WXNT, that mushy, yuppie, folk/classical guitar song about "going green." Some messed up yuppie woman singing it. I have also heard Joe Swanson from Family Guy, reading the forest fire prevention PSAs, as well as: 1. "You don't have to perfect to be a perfect parent" PSAs, 2. Foster Homes/Children, 3. Child Abuse, 4. Bullying (Enough with that!), 5. "Don't Do Drugs," 6. "Don't Drink and Drive," 7. Some from President Obama himself.
I am sorry to say that this will continue until advertising improves. Newer strategies are going to be needed to gain sponsorship and advertising.
Bongwater said:Interstate 78 said:DarkStarPDX said:
True but I'm sure that cheesy PSA "everything is going up in price. Good thing there's one thing that's still free. Local radio. Support the advertisers who support this radio station" isn't paid for by anyone. And I'm hearing that a lot lately! :
How OLD are those "Local Radio" PSAs now? I know many PSAs go for many years, if not a full decade without an upgrade. But SHEESH!
....and don't EVEN get me started on THIS one.....
http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastf...-breastfeeding-campaign/adcouncil/Soul_60.mp3
It's supposed to be '70s soul music sounding, but it actually comes off sounding like something Frank Zappa would have done.....
I agree with you. Some PSAs go for years/decades without a full change or upgrades. WNWI in Riverdale, IL still airs a PSA (quoting from an aircheck I have):
"WNWI has a few good hours of airtime for a few good programs, to serve their communities. You know, radio is better than ever, reaching an audience that listens to what you say. Learn more about this exciting radio broadcasting opportunity, by calling WNWI Radio at (708) 201-9600. Call Now."
This has aired at the top of every hour, followed by station ID, since 1998, when WNWI moved from Northwest Indiana. So, that's 14 years old.
http://stopthetexts.adcouncil.org/TV-and-Radio/
The "What You See" radio PSA they've been running lately is especially annoying.
"How will you stop texting and driving?"......Uhhh....Like, DON'T?
The "What You See" radio PSA they've been running lately is especially annoying.
"How will you stop texting and driving?"......Uhhh....Like, DON'T?
ABC still has multiple news networks, although they're the same newscaster these days. Entertainment network runs 4 minutes at the top of hour until 9pm Pacific, then 3 minutes overnight. Information network I think is a 5 minute cast daytime.
Entertainment net is 2 minutes news, one minute spot avail, then a final minute of news.
No matter what affiliates do with the newscasts, ABC must deliver the same format. I wouldn't say that "nobody" is buying advertising, but they're not always sold out like the good ol' days.
Plus, most talk shows have a 6 or 6:30 window at the top of hour. If the affiliate isn't sold out, not so uncommon, then they must fill with something. At 9 pm Pacific, with only a 3 minute network cast, that leaves 3 to 3.5 minutes for affiliate to fill. That's mighty hard to do even in a decent economy.
We fill with short features when we have avails, like Cal Thomas, etc.
Entertainment net is 2 minutes news, one minute spot avail, then a final minute of news.
No matter what affiliates do with the newscasts, ABC must deliver the same format. I wouldn't say that "nobody" is buying advertising, but they're not always sold out like the good ol' days.
Plus, most talk shows have a 6 or 6:30 window at the top of hour. If the affiliate isn't sold out, not so uncommon, then they must fill with something. At 9 pm Pacific, with only a 3 minute network cast, that leaves 3 to 3.5 minutes for affiliate to fill. That's mighty hard to do even in a decent economy.
We fill with short features when we have avails, like Cal Thomas, etc.
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