English Primbon: Public service announcement and Poster

A public service announcement is an advertisement that a television or radio station airs for a cause or a charity. They can tout the importance of medical check-ups for children or ask you to donate to the Salvation Army's bellringers.

Public service announcements are not paid advertising. A broadcaster donates the ad time as part of its commitment to serve the public interest.

You'll typically see public service announcements airing during weaker time slots or on stations with less share of the advertising market than their competitors. Stations tend to use these announcements as fillers during commercial breaks.

Some stations make a decision to devote a certain number of ad slots to PSAs, particularly for a campaign that has local impact. In a city with a high teenage pregnancy rate, a Top 40 radio station that is top-ranked with a young audience could air announcements on abstinence or birth control throughout its broadcast day.

While stations have a government mandate to serve the public interest, they are under no requirement to run general PSAs. If a station has a paid commercial to run in a 30 second slot, that ad will get priority over a non-paid announcement.

Also Known As: psa, radio psa, tv psa, broadcast psa

Examples

10 Second PSA: WE COME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, BUT WE TRAVEL DOWN THE SAME ROAD. LOOK FOR MOTORCYCLES & SHARE THE ROAD. THIS MESSAGE BROUGHT TO YOU BY ABATE of ARKANSAS, www.arkansasabate.org

15 Second PSA: DID YOU KNOW THAT 75% OF MULTIPLE VEHICLE ACCIDENTS INVOLVING MOTORCYCLES WERE THE FAULT OF THE OTHER PERSON? DON'T BE PART OF THAT DEADLY STATISTIC, LOOK FOR MOTORCYCLES & SHARE THE ROAD. THIS MESSAGE BROUGHT TO YOU BY ABATE of ARKANSAS, www.arkansasabate.org

20 Second PSA: APPROXIMATELY 75% OF THE MULTI-VEHICLE ACCIDENTS INVOLVING MOTORCYCLES WERE THE FAULT OF THE OTHER PERSON. MOST OF THOSE DRIVERS SAID THEY DID NOT SEE THE MOTORCYCLE. DON'T BE PART OF THAT DEADLY STATISTIC. LOOK FOR MOTORCYCLES & SHARE THE ROAD. THIS MESSAGE BROUGHT TO YOU BY ABATE of ARKANSAS, www.arkansasabate.org

30 Second PSA: DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO RIDES A MOTORCYCLE? CHANCES ARE GOOD THAT YOU SEE MOTORCYCLE RIDERS WHEN YOU ARE BEHIND THE WHEEL. FOR THE REST OF YOU, YOUR CHANCES OF BEING THE PERSON WHO HITS A MOTORCYCLE RIDER JUST WENT UP 300%. THAT'S RIGHT, YOU ARE 3 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO HIT SOMEONE RIDING A MOTORCYCLE JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE WHO RIDES THEM. DON'T BE PART OF THAT DEADLY STATISTIC. LOOK FOR MOTORCYCLES & SHARE THE ROAD. THIS MESSAGE BROUGHT TO YOU BY ABATE of ARKANSAS.