PSA Guidelines

KPFK Public Service Announcement Guidelines

What is a public service announcement?

Public service announcements are a community service provided by KPFK. Public service announcements run in the form of pre-recorded announcements, community calendar announcements, and live read scripts. Announcements run at the bottom of each hour and are read during music programs at the station. All events must be submitted by an organization that qualifies as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Service Tax Code 501(c)3.

Public service announcements are approved on a sliding scale ( A,B,C ) with varying degrees of broadcast opportunities. Organizations are allowed one PSA cycle per month - in the form of a pre-recorded public service announcement or community calendar announcement. Only one announcement per organization will be broadcast at any given time. PSA's can be produced in Spanish and English.

            PSA Broadcast Scale

A.      3X Per/Day Two Weeks Total

B.     2X Per/Day Two Weeks Total

C.     1X Per/Day Two Weeks Total                 

Pre-recorded public service announcements are recorded for issues and events that help and or provide a social service and or educational information for the improvement of any particular segment of society. PSA are also produced for events that collect an entrance fee for admission that will benefit a particular cause - a spaghetti dinner benefiting the Hollywood High School Varsity Basketball Team, an appearance by Danny Glover benefiting the NAACP of San Francisco. Public service announcements run anywhere from one to two weeks preceding an event.

The KPFK Community Calendar includes events that are free to the public such as a free concert for peace in Mc Arthur Park, a March andrally for immigrant rights, or a community town hall meeting on racism, a special reading with an author or activist. The calendar airs two times a day for a full week prior to the event. Please forward all request for the calendar to calendar@kpfk.org.

How do I submit a public service announcement for broadcast on KPFK?

As soon as you are aware that your nonprofit organization is sponsoring an event, please contact the programming dept. at KPFK. Organizations that contact us at least four to six weeks in advance will receive priority. Events may not be announced if received less than 21 days in advance. Because of the amount of announcements received, yours may not be included.

If your organization is tax exempt and you would like to promote your event, please send in an Announcement Request to the KPFK Programming Dept. 818 985-2711 ext. 204

By Email:        aminsky@kpfk.org

By Mail:
KPFK - PSA
3729 Cahuenga Blvd West
North Hollywood, CA 91604

How long is a public service announcement?

Announcements are 40 seconds long so reading scripts should be no longer than 30 seconds. Scripts are subject to editing and approval by programming staff at the station.

Can your DJs tell your listeners to come out to our event?

Phrases that advocate that listeners participate in an event (i.e. "be there", "join us"), or calls to action are forbidden unless the phrase is framed as a personal appeal from a particular individual. This ensures that KPFK is not liable for any events facing possible litigation.

Who will produce my public service announcement?

Public service announcements are scheduled by the programming dept in coordination with KPFK's production dept. When a PSA is approved by the programming dept. the request is then forwarded to the production dept for date and time for recording and broadcast. What you need to bring:

• 2 printed copies of your script.
• One minute of instrumental music in CD or MP3 format

Recording Your Own PSA

If you choose to pre-record your own public service announcement, it must meet the KPFK PSA guidelines, must be ready for broadcast, and will need to be approved by the programming dept. Recordings not produced by the programming dept. are not guaranteed for air.

KPFK's Public Service Announcements are a service of the KPFK Programming department. Questions about our public service announcement guidelines can be forwarded to the following:

KPFK Radio
Telephone: (818) 985-2711 ext. 204
Email: aminsky@kpfk.org