WHAT IS A PSA or Community Calendar Announcement?
Pre-recorded PSA’s and community calendar listings are a service provided to the community by KPFA for promotion and/or announcement of community events.
A public service announcement (PSA) is a non-commercial announcement of an event. PSA’s are recorded at KPFA for events that collect a fee that will benefit the non-profit organization submitting the request or a tax exempt fiscal sponsor of the organization.
Public service announcements run anywhere from one to three weeks preceding an event.
Community calendar announcements include events that do not charge an admission fee.
Additionally community calendar announcements are posted on the KPFA website event calendar.
What are the requirements?
All PSA requests must be submitted by an organization that qualifies as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Service Tax Code 501 (c) 3 or have a 501(c) 3 fiscal sponsor. The event must be one for which an admission fee is charged.
The event site must be wheelchair accessible.
If your event or your organization does not meet the above criteria, your announcement can be considered for the Community Calendar. Due to the large number of submissions we receive, there is no guarantee that each submitted event will be included in the Community Calendar.
Only one announcement per organization will be broadcast at any given time.
The following event announcements cannot be produced as PSA’s but can be listed in the Community Calendar:
- Rallies/Demonstrations
- Free Events
- Benefits for Individuals
- Book Signings/Public Appearances
- Workshops or Classes
Exceptions to these will be considered on a case by case basis.
Specific prices for events or services will not be mentioned on PSAs or Community Calendars. Note that “free” is considered an event price and should not be mentioned.
How Do I Submit A Request For an Event Announcement On KPFA?
Please contact [email protected] to request a PSA.
For a community calendar announcement, please send your request to [email protected] or submit an event listing to KPFA-Community Calendar at 1929 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley 94704
It is recommended that organizations submit PSA and community calendar requests at least four to six weeks in advance of the event.
Event announcements may not be scheduled if requests are received less than 21 days in advance.
Please note: Not all recorded PSA requests are guaranteed to be scheduled, and not all Community Calendar submissions can be included.
Items Needed for the PSA Appointment
- Two (2) typed or computer printed copies of your script.
The script must state that the event is a benefit and give the name of the benefiting organization.
The script must state that the event is wheelchair accessible.
The script should not have: direct commands, e.g. “Come to…; instead, “You are invited to …”
Finished PSA’s will be 30-60 seconds. Therefore, scripts should total no more than 25-50 seconds reading time. All scripts are subject to editing by the Apprenticeship Program or other programming staff at the station. - At least one minute of instrumental music in CD format.
- A copy of the benefiting organization’s 501 (c) 3 documentation or letter from fiscal sponsor along with a copy of the fiscal sponsor’s 501(c)3 documentation.
Can I Produce My Own PSA?
If you choose to record your own Public Service Announcement, it must meet the KPFA PSA guidelines, must be ready for broadcast, and will need to be approved by KPFA staff. A copy of your script and a copy of the 501 (c) 3 approval information must be included with submission.
Your pre produced PSA should be exactly 30 or 60 seconds in length.
Sample Script
Sunny Acres invites you to a concert performance featuring the music of Tuna and the Chunks. The concert takes place at 8 pm on Sunday, January 1st at the People’s Community Forum, 1234 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley. This event is wheelchair accessible and is a benefit for Media Progressivo. For more information, call 510-555-1234.
Public Service Announcements are a service of the KPFA Traffic Department. Community Calendar Listings are a service of the First Voice Apprenticeship Program.