WUOT Guidelines for Event/Public Service Announcements

WUOT policies regarding the on-air copy for public service announcements (PSAs) shall parallel the policies that have been established for WUOT underwriting copy, which follow standards used for National Public Radio (NPR) underwriting copy and concur with current WUOT and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) policies. To help maintain the overall noncommercial appearance of public radio programming, copy should identify, but not promote the subject matter or the organization submitting the PSA.

PSA Copy:

· May be up to 15 seconds long.

· Must be in third person.

· Must be immediately followed by the phrase: “This message has been a public service of WUOT.”

· Beyond this phrase, a PSA may include the following information:

     · Name of event/activity.
     · Purpose of event.
     · Name of organization hosting/presenting the event/activity.
     · Location/address of event/activity.
     · Date and time of event/activity.
     · Phone number, e-mail address or Web site for more
           information about the event/activity.

PSAs may NOT contain:

· Call to action (e.g., “call 974-6167 for more information” or "visit us on the Web at . . .").

· Superlative description or qualitative claim about the organization, its products or its services (e.g., “the premier organization of the Tennessee Valley,” words such as “leading,” “leader” or “leadership,” or “a great play”).

· Direct comparisons with other organizations or with other organizations’ products or services (e.g., “we’re better than the rest,” or “others just don’t compare”).

· Price or value information (e.g., “tickets are $10” or “admission is free”).

· Inducements to buy, sell, rent or lease (e.g., “buy one, get one free”).

· Endorsements (e.g., “winner of a 2001 Tony Award” or “Grammy-award winning”).

 PSA Copy Samples:

· Knox Heritage will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a Summer Supper Series June 19th through Sept. 29th in historic Knoxville neighborhoods. Tickets and information at knox heritage dot org. This message has been a public service of WUOT.

· With help, someone can overcome addiction. Information is available by calling Narconon at 1-800-468-6933 or on the Web at solve addiction dot com. This message has been a public service of WUOT.

· Friends of the Smokies will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the park’s search and rescue program on September 15th from 9:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at Metcalf Bottoms near Townsend. 453-2428. This message has been a public service of WUOT.

· The Knoxville Museum of Art is looking for volunteers who want to support the local arts scene. More information is available at knox art dot org. This message has been a public service of WUOT.

NOTE: Web site addresses may omit “w-w-w dot” preceding the address if the link will work as given.