Public Service Announcements

Public Service Announcements are simply announcements about activities and events going on in your community – in this case, any event other than meetings with Representatives or Senators, that you have planned (a march, rally, picnic, etc.) in connection with the May 11th Mother’s Day campaign or any other event. This is FREE publicity and can (if aired) generate greater interest in and attendance at your event.

Remember, you’re inviting the public to attend your event. Draft your PSA to be warm, lively and conversational in tone and content, while including the standard “who, what, when, when, where and why” information. The sample you can download below should get you started in the right direction.

To get a PSA for radio placed:

1. 4-6 weeks out: Check your media lists for stations that do written PSAs. If they just accept taped PSAs, decide if you want to do that.

2. 4-6 weeks out: Contact the Public Services Director, or if one is not listed, call the station and ask for the name of the person responsible for receiving PSAs, and ask how he or she prefers to receive material – by email, fax or regular mail – and ask for the station’s guidelines.

3. Upon Receipt: Read the station’s guidelines carefully, and make sure your pitch conforms to its format.

4. 4-6 weeks out: send your PSA in and follow up with a call in a day or so to ensure they received it.

Generally, PSAs are submitted to radio stations 4-6 weeks ahead of your scheduled event. Check your station guidelines for submission deadlines. Following these guidelines is your best chance of getting your PSA aired.

As a rule, PSAs are ten-second, thirty-second, or sometimes sixty-second spots. You may be asked to submit all three types.

A 60-second PSA should be about 125 words; a 30-second PSA is about 60 words, and a 15-second PSA is about 30 words.