Do you work for a local non-profit and want to share your organization’s message on the radio? Send PSAs to WBOR for a chance to have it broadcasted on air.
PSAs can be event-related or a broader message about community services, public awareness, and safety, or volunteer opportunities.
Note, PSAs should be aimed at the wider Midcoast community, not specific just to Bowdoin.
EXAMPLE PSAs
The airing of Public Service Announcements is essential to WBOR's mission to serve and inform the public. WBOR takes its role seriously to assist non-profit organizations that receive little exposure through commercial and corporate media sources.
Submission Guidelines
- The requesting organization MUST be non-profit. No for-profit organization can benefit from the organization or event. Announcements for fundraisers or donations, regardless of nonprofit status, will not be accepted, even if a portion of the funds are donated to charity. No references to donations in a script will be accepted.
- Information or events should have obvious appeal and value to the Bowdoin College and/or Brunswick/Midcoast community.
- A PSA cannot be used for political purposes; if PSAs have political slants for or against a controversial issue, they will be rejected.
- WBOR cannot broadcast religiously affiliated PSAs.
- Include all dates, times, and contact information
- Answer: wbor, what, when, where, how, and why.
- Avoid Calls to Action. As a public radio station, WBOR cannot directly command or urge listeners to carry out an action. Instead of “Come on Down,” “Stop By,” or “Check out,” try “You are invited to..” or other neutral wording, including how to get more information, i.e., “More information is available online at www …. or by phone at XXX-XXX-XXXX …” Please make sure to include area codes in phone numbers, even if it is a local area 207 number.
- PSAs cannot contain prices, costs, or inducements to buy. As a public radio station, WBOR cannot mention prices, even if the event is free (zero dollars is an amount). “Ticket information is available by phone at 831-420-4334” or “Admission information is available online at www…” is preferable to “Tickets are available for $5,” or “Parking is $42”, “Seniors are half price.” This also includes language regarding raffles, prizes, or contests.
- State only facts. PSAs can only contain value-neutral wording. Words such as “best,” “interesting,” “fun,” “entertaining,” and “high quality” are all statements of opinion and can only be used in quotations.
- Keep it short and fluid! PSAs should be thirty to sixty seconds long (about 30-100 words), though we recommend keeping it short – try for a maximum of thirty seconds.
- All scripts should end with “This announcement is a public service of WBOR 91.1 FM.”
- Please provide pronunciation (pro-NUN-see-A-shun) for any difficult words or names if submitting a script.
WBOR is unable to guarantee when or if any announcement will run on the radio station.
