KCBP 95.5fm Public Service Announcement Guidelines

What is a public service announcement (PSA)?

KCBP 95.5fm airs Public Service Announcements (PSAs) as part of our mission to serve our listeners and community. PSAs submitted to KCBP 95.5fm for consideration should have information that is of direct relevance and benefit to listeners in KCBP 95.5fm’s broadcast area. Messages should not include controversial, issue-oriented, or self-serving material. KCBP 95.5fm reserves the right to determine which PSAs will be selected for broadcast.

PSAs will be scheduled based on limited airtime availability; particularly when there’s a higher volume of submissions, not all PSAs submitted for consideration will be broadcast.

KCBP 95.5fm is unable to determine in advance how often, if, or when your PSA will air. Because PSAs are a free service, KCBP 95.5fm is obligated to fulfill orders for paid underwriting announcements first. To learn more about the community benefits of underwriting, or to establish guaranteed announcements during specified times, please see our Underwriting Information Page on our website to contact one of our Underwriting Representatives.

PSAs are very brief—only 30 seconds in length. They are kept in rotation for no more than two weeks, and generally do not air during KCBP 95.5fm ’s on-air fund drives.

Public service announcements run in the form of staff-produced pre-recorded announcements, community calendar announcements, and potentially live-read scripts. PSAs are reserved for publicizing the events or services of not-for-profit organizations located in our broadcast area.

KCBP 95.5fm welcomes PSAs for the following:

Concerts and musical events, c-ultural, educational, environmental, civic, pet, weather recovery, and health-related events that, in our judgment, have an affinity with our community, audience, and the common good; Fundraising events (to the extent of FCC regulations) which, in our judgment, have an affinity with our community, audience, education, and the common good.

Due to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations, no political announcements will be accepted.

KCBP 95.5fm does not air PSAs for commercial events, or other events where there is an emphasis on 'selling' or 'bidding', including silent auctions, yard sales, bake sales, artist markets and craft fairs. We also do not air PSAs for membership-only events, car washes, or lost animals.

PSAs for not-for-profit organizations cannot include a solicitation for funds, a solicitation for volunteers to solicit funds, or for promoting a "members only" event. KCBP 95.5fm does not mention event sponsors within the script of any PSA.

FCC and IRS Guidelines for PSAs

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have established strict guidelines for PSAs. These guidelines must be firmly adhered to. Please keep these guidelines in mind when you submit your announcement for consideration to KCBP 95.5fm.

Announcements may not include an inducement to buy, sell, rent or lease.
Announcements may not contain price information, including fees, or references including “free,” “sale,” “half-price” or “discount.” If an event is free, it’s permissible to indicate that it's “open to the public.” If an event requires tickets, the PSA may tell listeners where tickets are available.
Announcements may not be for commercial purposes. If it involves money or measurable benefit, the recipient must have 501(c)(3) status. Announcements for fundraisers at commercial establishments will not be accepted, even if a portion of the funds are donated to charity.
Announcements may not contain comparative or qualitative language, like “the best in our area,” or “the most popular…”
Announcements may not contain a call to action, such as “be sure to attend” or “hurry in today.”

How to submit a public service announcement for broadcast on KCBP 95.5fm

PSA requests must be self-submitted by entering the event information on KCBP 95.5fm ’s online PSA Submission Page at least 3 weeks before the event date. Timely submission makes it more likely for your PSA to be considered for broadcast.

The following information will be required:

Who will host the event? Name of organization.
What type of event is it? For example: is it a presentation, regular meeting, a slideshow, a lecture or a demonstration?
When will the event take place? Time and date.
Where will the event take place? City and address.
Why? Include a very brief mission statement or explanation.
Contact information Web address and phone number.
Provide phonetic pronunciation (pro-NUN-see-A-shun) of difficult words and names.

The station does not check the details of an event and does not take responsibility for inaccurate information. Please proofread before submitting information for a PSA.

KCBP Community Radio reserves the right to edit content and to refuse submissions that do not fit within the stations policy or values.

For a printable copy of KCBP's PSA Policy (.pdf)

To submit a PSA for broadcast consideration, CLICK HERE.

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