Why Are PSAs Being Ignored?

[Radio1360]

Ever notice when a PSA (Public Service Annoucement) comes on during breaks on
network radio (and TV) talk shows, it's often "stepped in" by another ad?
I mean, many of these PSA's are very important at times. So why are radio and
TV stations are still doing this?

 

[hitliner]

Why are they being ignored?

Let's see.....PSA bring in zero $ to a station. Other ads bring in $$$ to a station.

Simple math.

 

[The 5th Beatle]

It's unfortunate that people like the last poster exist, but it's true. Current programmers don't understand how important community involvement is to local radio, so they skip it and concentrate on revenue, without realizing that local activities that relate to their demo can actually increase ratings, therefore increasing revenue.

It's all about the bottom dollar, but today's radio doesn't understand that in order to get to the top, you have to stop looking at the bottom.

 

[DAYRADIO]

I think also you may be seeing a local spot running, and seeing just a sec or two of the network "cover" spot (PSA).

 

[radioboy]

Besides the money factor, the other *REAL* reason is that there's no FCC requirements regarding PSAs.

In the old days, stations were required to devote a certain amount of time to public affairs/PSAs. I've
been around the biz long enough to have worked at stations that had a "public service director."

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Current programmers don't understand how important community involvement is to local radio, so they skip it and concentrate on revenue, without realizing that local activities that relate to their demo can actually increase ratings, therefore increasing revenue.

Think your way through the language here. What does a network based public service announcement have to do with "community involvement of local radio"?

Greatest broadcaster I ever worked for refused to run ONE SINGLE PSA per license period. None. Zero. Nada. This was 1960's when the license form asked: How many PSA's are you going to run? and everybody knew they better polish the apple for the teacher. But no, Shep said ZERO.

His philosophy: It is not a public service or a community involvement to read some script prepared by an agency copy writer in New York or Los Angeles for March of Dimes or Red Cross or Salvation Army. I have four news mobiles on the street and any service organization that is doing something can call us and we will be there to do a news story. If the local chapter is DOING something, you get air time. If you are just giving lip service down the network or mailing out image copy, you don't deserve air time.

With four News wagons, we were in a back-water town of 13,000 out in the corn fields of the midwest.

Tell me what service has been neutered at the local level when you cut a national PSA out of a network newscast?

 

[chadd]

I'll go with GRC on this one. If the station isn't naturally feeding the needs of the public... how are you still on the air?

Listeners are your gauge to how much purpose you serve. Done right, radiothons and clothing drives not only "move the needle" (as one programmer once phrased it to me), the listeners will be more likely to physically move too. But you don't have to build a wing onto your local rescue mission to earn public appeal.

We provide information. We provide an outlet for passion. We provide entertaining perspectives on the world. Whether thru acknowledging reality or serving escapism, the PS in PSA has gotta be right on... or your transmitter won't be for too long.

BTW, listeners tune out at about the 3rd min or so (debated) of commercials, and recorded announcements always seem to get buried at the end of the stopset.

 

[FredRichards]

What I have told a lot of clients to do is have the person come to the station and cut their audio with a not to exceed 30-seconds, and voice only. Schedule the PSA between two songs in a set, and set the attributes so it talks over the end of the end of the first song, and talks up the intro of the next song, (like a voice track).

First, they now have some vested interest in the PSA, versus dropping it on your door and saying "read this". Second, you can bet as soon as they are done recording, they are calling all their friends telling them to listen for them. Third, it doesn't really take that much out of your total time, but it helps with spot break clutter. Lastly, it's a chance for them, and you, to meet and that is something they will always remember. And don't forget to give them a token promo item on the way out.

In WireReady automation you can cheat and just include a "PSA Rotation" where you want it to appear in your music format, then just change the list of the PSAs in rotation. Use the time and date function to expire old PSAs.

 

[FOZZIE BEAR]

What I have told a lot of clients to do is have the person come to the station and cut their audio with a not to exceed 30-seconds, and voice only. Schedule the PSA between two songs in a set, and set the attributes so it talks over the end of the end of the first song, and talks up the intro of the next song, (like a voice track).

First, they now have some vested interest in the PSA, versus dropping it on your door and saying "read this". Second, you can bet as soon as they are done recording, they are calling all their friends telling them to listen for them. Third, it doesn't really take that much out of your total time, but it helps with spot break clutter. Lastly, it's a chance for them, and you, to meet and that is something they will always remember. And don't forget to give them a token promo item on the way out.

In WireReady automation you can cheat and just include a "PSA Rotation" where you want it to appear in your music format, then just change the list of the PSAs in rotation. Use the time and date function to expire old PSAs.

If you are going to have a PSA randomly pop up between 2 songs...why don't you just have your jock do it? My opinion is...it would sound sooooo damn random to have some other person, who voiced some PSA, to pop in between songs and it would sound like crap. I don't care how well you ramp it and hit the post. I could never imagine doing something like that. I would simply have my jock do a break on it...in their own words. However, this is simply my opinion.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

My opinion is...it would sound sooooo damn random to have some other person, who voiced some PSA, to pop in between songs and it would sound like crap.

Think with me Fozzie. Why do stations run car dealer ads that have been produced by some agency and sound like they want to be the WWE ring announcer when they grow up. That sounds so random. Why not have your own jock do it, in their own words. Why spend money to have some V-O person do station imaging. That sounds so random. Why not have your own jock do it, in their own words.

If you are automated, or if you are funning canned stuff off the bird, who is our own jock?

If the person voicing the public service blurb has lived in the community all her life, was home-coming queen at the high school 23 years ago and and MCs chamber of commerce events on the square two and three times a year... what's so "random" about that.

Fozzie, quit thinking like a radio dude. Think like a listener. Listeners don't know that jocks and program hosts exist.... because at most small stations.... they don't. No one has explained to listeners that they should be more impressed when the host/jock delivers a message, than they are when someone they grew up with and sings in their church choir delivers the message.

 

[FOZZIE BEAR]

My opinion is...it would sound sooooo damn random to have some other person, who voiced some PSA, to pop in between songs and it would sound like crap.

Think with me Fozzie. Why do stations run car dealer ads that have been produced by some agency and sound like they want to be the WWE ring announcer when they grow up. That sounds so random. Why not have your own jock do it, in their own words. Why spend money to have some V-O person do station imaging. That sounds so random. Why not have your own jock do it, in their own words.

If you are automated, or if you are funning canned stuff off the bird, who is our own jock?

If the person voicing the public service blurb has lived in the community all her life, was home-coming queen at the high school 23 years ago and and MCs chamber of commerce events on the square two and three times a year... what's so "random" about that.

Fozzie, quit thinking like a radio dude. Think like a listener. Listeners don't know that jocks and program hosts exist.... because at most small stations.... they don't. No one has explained to listeners that they should be more impressed when the host/jock delivers a message, than they are when someone they grew up with and sings in their church choir delivers the message.

Well, In my market...the listeners surely know the jocks exist. So, I don't know what to tell you. In my market...it would make no since to put someone on who was in the community all there life. The only way this would be successful is IF it was someone who truly has been in the spot light in the community. Thats the ONLY way that idea would ever even come close to being successful. Obviously, you are talking about a SMALL COMMUNITY where they do not have ANY LIVE JOCKS. In a market like that, which by the way I have worked in, anything goes. But for most markets...that would be so random and would sound like crap. As for the commercial comment... that is really comparing apples and oranges. As for the imaging...come on...that is really a stretch. You want a VOICE that represents your station. Your jocks are the personalities. There is nothing random about that. However, this is just my opinion.

 

[FredRichards]

If you are going to have a PSA randomly pop up between 2 songs...why don't you just have your jock do it?

What can I say, Foz. It works. There are times when you can have your air talent read them, but this is a P.R. move plus a means to get the public to know the worth of airtime. I've found that those listeners and organizations that have some work into the preparation of the content appreciate it more than Joe Shmoe who stops by the station with a sheet of notebook paper with hardly any notes on them.

The proof, and reward (which can go in the public file), is when you receive a thank you note back from the agency that gets results from their PSA.

 

[FOZZIE BEAR]

I am all about getting a local person, someone who personally can speak for the charity etc... to do the spots. However, to do them between songs? Never. Once again...this is just my take on it.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

to do them between songs? Never.

Do them where then? Between stories in the news? Between commercials?

Are you part of the new generation that has grown up in the era of "stop sets" and like some kind of religious rules, music cannot be served on the same plate with other food? :

Where do you put your PSAs?

 

[FOZZIE BEAR]

to do them between songs? Never.

Do them where then? Between stories in the news? Between commercials?

Are you part of the new generation that has grown up in the era of "stop sets" and like some kind of religious rules, music cannot be served on the same plate with other food? :

Where do you put your PSAs?

In the spot block or have a jock take care of it. It has nothing to do with RELIGIOUS RULES....it has to do with sounding good or sounding like a train wreck. I feel that it would make NO SENSE to have a PSA all of the sudden pop up between soungs. I have thought about this...and I just would never have a PSA pop up between songs. It's the same thing as a station running a promo for the morningshow etc... between songs. There is a flow that you are trying to achieve with your music and to all of the sudden bring that flow to a STOP to run something like a PSA (even if you are walking the ramp of the next song) or morning show promo etc... between songs. Sorry, but thats my take on it. Is that the difference between me and the generation before me? Sure.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Is that the difference between me and the generation before me? Sure.

Fozzie.... I was sitting here contemplating whether to contact you off-line for some input or can we dig a bit deeper into this right here in public. You have my curiosity flowing!!!

In the quote above, you answered my first question. Yes, I'm from the previous generation. That generation that thought running two spots back-to-back was the meanest, ugliest, nastiest train wreck you could foist on the listener. Times certainly have changed. :'(

I have been away from the business a few years so I am aware some of my observations may stray from reality. Here is how I would compose a chapter (or maybe just a paragraph) for a handbook on the history of radio for young entry level broadcasters:

Commercials, PSAs, Weather forecasts and other program elements were rather evenly dispersed with the other program content in earlier years. Two things happened about the same time and were in some ways dependent on each other. Machines to automate programming and external delivery of program segments 10 to 15 minutes long by satellite. The early automation machines were not very sophisticated. They had mechanical timers that looked like they were fugitives from the factory where Maytag washing machines were made. They had the capapbility of commanding the automation machine to do something about every 15 minutes. So, the automation machine would play giant spools of tape for a while, and then the "Maytag Man" would throw up a flag saying: "I'm next" and much to our horror, a miniature herd of commercials would burst forth, after which we returned to a long block of music until the Maytag Man held up his flag again. Similar programming effects took place when the satellite driven programming would say to the station: "Why don't you do something while I run to the bathroom." Then the satellite was in charge for 12 minutes or so. Can you say "Program Clock" boys and girls?

I frankly thought the American public would rise up and lynch all the radio stations in America over this new direction. Train wreck is the kindest description I would give for my view of this programming direction.

Fast forward to today. We have an entire generation of both listeners and broadcasters who have grown up never knowing any other style of radio than the Stop Set Boogie. Fozzie, to you I guess it is assumed "that when God created radio, He created it with clusters of commercials known as stop sets, and it was good." Fortunately, the young listeners think the same way.

I don't know if a university would stand still for the idea of focusing on such a trivial matter, but it would be great if someone would do a doctoral dissertation built on a survey of garden variety listeners... people who had no involvement with a radio station in their life time, people who would not know the terminology we use here in discussion, and see what issues these "amateur listeners" consider to be train wrecks when listening to the radio. We might all (no matter our generation) be surprised to learn what people really wish the radio would do for them.

In my car, the radio switches stations or goes dead when I wake up to the fact that I am in a stop set of commercials that may go on and on and on and on and on. and on. on.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

P.S. Unless it's classical music, if the radio goes for three songs in a row with no conversation with me, I'm out'a here. Next station please.

 

[FOZZIE BEAR]

P.S. Unless it's classical music, if the radio goes for three songs in a row with no conversation with me, I'm out'a here. Next station please.

Thank you for the lesson. However, I dont think you got my point.

Nice debate though.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

I dont think you got my point.

I tend to agree with you, and I would like to understand what your point is. I made some assumptions of what it may be you feel are the correct ingredients of programming, and how to properly mix those ingredients together. I sense that I made some bad assumptions.

We are probably looking at the opportunity from different generations.

We could be looking at it from different genders.

We could be looking at it from different market conditions. (small market vs. medium market vs big, big city)

We could be looking at if from different artistic tastes.

I hope you will continue the discussion.

If you want to continue the discussion off-line, use the radio-info 'send a message' feature, or e-mail me direct at i6x at bellsouth.net. (that is eye-six-x, not one-six-x)

This is not a 'debate' that I need to win.... this is a 'discussion' and I want to learn. You understand today. Maybe I understand yesterday.

 

[FOZZIE BEAR]

There are a few reasons why I would NEVER run a PSA between songs.

One: I do not want to interrupt the flow of my music with some sort of random PSA. The jock, if they are doing there job, can feel the music, can walk the ramp and hit the post with the beat of the track the are walking. It's all about flow for me. This, in my opinion, is what makes a stations sound GREAT and makes the station successful. There's more to it regarding that opinion, but I think you get my point. I mean, this PROM QUEEN or whatever local person that might be brought in to voice a PSA...they are blind to what it's like to mix with the music. They are going to give you one type of read for the PSA. So, now you would have to make sure, if you want it to sound GOOD, that there read on the PSA would fit between the two songs. The only thing you want between 2 songs...is your jock. Thats what your paying them for. They know the music...or at least should know it. As I mentioned before... there is a station in town that will run a morning show promo between songs... I will NEVER understand that. It brings EVERYTHING to a hault. Here you are rocking out, or whatever you want to call it, and all the sudden....BAM! Hey everybody! Tomorrow morning we are going to be blah, blah, blah!....So make sure to join us. It's the same thing as the POLICE breaking down your bedroom door just as you are about to get it on with FILL IN THE BLANK. It's not cool.

Two: Sorry, but PSA's are freaking commericals. There's no way around it. I don't mean that they are OFFICIALLY COMMERCIAL'S? Meaning thats how the FCC or whomever looks at them? No. I mean...thats how the listener looks at them. So, there is another reason why I would not have them between two songs. If you have talented jocks...then they should be able to put into their words what the specific PSA is about. Make it there own. Listeners are more inclined to listen to what the JOCK is saying... then some OFFICIAL PSA.

People have mentioned that you would possibly get more people listening if you had the PROM QUEEN on or something like that. I imagine if you are in a small market...then yes...that would work. However, in a medium size market like I am in or bigger... it would not matter. You have multiple cities listening to the station. What does joe blow care about the prom queen at some highschool in some other surrounding city? They don't.

This is merely my take on it. Everyone is different.