PSA to air next week

[brasda91]

OK, so I sent an e-mail to my local TV station couple weeks ago asking to air the PSA from our national office I sent them.  I asked that it be aired until further notice.  Hadn't heard anything from them, much less seen anything on TV.

I e-mailed them again today and even received a response.  When I sent them the first e-mail, they were in the middle of "ratings" and didn't have time to process a new psa.  The lady that handles the Promotion?Public Affairs told me she would send the info to her editing guy to add the info I had included and it should begin next week.  She even said she would run it for a year!  WOO HOOO!!!

Get out there and talk to the TV stations!

Tomorrow I'll be calling the lady that handles psa's for about 6 different radio stations and see when she can get the radio psa's I sent her two weeks ago, on the air.

[Pylon]

Bravo Zulu!  Excellent work!

At the national level, it's too bad we can't team up with the AdCouncil to get national airtime PSAs on for CAP. 

We could also stand to develop a few new and additional spots than the ones provided, and have access to them in a variety of the most widely used formats for media providers.  Yep, I know that costs money, but I also know we have talented, resourceful volunteers out there as well.

Keep us posted with how the TV ads go over (if you get any response) and how the radio PSAs work out as well! 

[brasda91]

Bravo Zulu!  Excellent work!

At the national level, it's too bad we can't team up with the AdCouncil to get national airtime PSAs on for CAP. 

We could also stand to develop a few new and additional spots than the ones provided, and have access to them in a variety of the most widely used formats for media providers.  Yep, I know that costs money, but I also know we have talented, resourceful volunteers out there as well.

Keep us posted with how the TV ads go over (if you get any response) and how the radio PSAs work out as well! 

Wilco.

[stillamarine]

Great job! I need to look into that around here, I think I know of one radio station that might do it.

Quite indictive of this board though, this thread has been on for over 24 hours, viewed 95 times, and one reply that was not the thread starter!


(maybe you should have thrown in a slight uniform item/ or a ES/CP debate in to it!  )

[Capt Rivera]

did you snail mail or email any of the stations for initial contact? Do you have any correspondence examples/tips?

[dwb]

When I sent them the first e-mail, they were in the middle of "ratings" and didn't have time to process a new psa.

Too busy during sweeps to add a new PSA to the rotation?  I'm glad you followed up with them, because the more likely reason is that it was forgotten about and/or blown off the first time.

I hope the PSAs yield some good results for you.

[brasda91]

Quite possibly was forgotten about.

As far as contacts, one of my new senior members officers had a contact for me.  I sent the lady at the tv station that handles public affairs an e-mail with the psa as an attachment.  I had already talked with a christian radio staion on doing a psa for us.  I told her I didn't know alot about getting psa's on the radio/tv and she gave me some pointers.

The psa for the tv should be airing now.  I've yet to see it.  May be just that I've missed it.  I am going to contact her again and ask about the status of it.

Since then I have talked/e-mailed with the other two tv stations that covers my viewing area and both tv stations have asked for the psa's to look at.  I went to the capchannel website and there is a link to e-mail the website to whomever.  I have done that with a couple simple steps of where to locate the psa's.  National has had a little bit of trouble with their website and the psa's, so I thought it would be easier for the stations to download the psa's themselves.

I also have made a cd of a few psa's and mailed it to one of the tv stations, simply because they asked me too.  I will probably do that for all of the radio stations and tv stations I've been talking with.

For me, it's just been a matter of e-mailing the tv stations and waiting for a response.  When I contacted the other two tv stations, I threw in the fact that my first tv station agreed to run the psa for a year, and asked them if they would match that committment.

When I contact the media, I introduce myself and the organization I'm representing.  I let them know I have a psa that was produced by our national office and ask them to run it on the radio/tv until further notice.  The ball is in their court.  If they don't respond in a week, I contact them again.

The seeds have been sewn.  Just waiting for them to produce results.

Anything else I can help with?

[brasda91]

Our (Nationals) psa is being aired!!  I myself saw it yesterday, 1725hrs.  Couldn't believe it!  I was told by my tv contact the psa would be airing primarily overnight.    Not exactly the perfect recruiting time.  Anywho,  it has been shown at various other times.  Back around New Years, a couple of my co-workers saw it here at work, in the middle of the day.  WooHoo!!  I've been receiving calls from people who have seen the psa and are interested.

I also have been seeing commercials for Volunteermatch.org.  Since I have several SM positions on their website, I've received 2 e-mails from people interested in CAP!!

If you haven't contacted your local tv station, get out there and do it!  I am seeing the benefits of it.

[SKYKING607]

Years ago as a PAO I encountered some major league problems with PSAs.  Here in the greater Los Angeles area, there are a variety of television and radio stations.   The stations broadcast in Spanish, Korean, Japanese, etc.  These stations service a massive area the covers three Groups served by a couple of dozen CAP units.  We are talking about Los Angeles County, Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and parts of Ventura and Kern Counties. 

The PSA coordinators at these stations will ask you, "Are you affiliated with the San Fernando, Torrance, San Gabrial Valley, or Fullerton CAP units?  These units have also approached me with the same PSA?"

These station contacts are being "hit" by several different unit PAOs desiring the same result.  Can there be a trial program to "cease" unit efforts in large media markets and allow a coordinated Wing or National approach to air these PSAs?

We'd probably obtain better results.

[mikeylikey]

^ I agree it should be a National effort, not a local PAO effort.  I would love to see CAP invest money in national advertising.  Hit the 25 major metro markets with print ads, billboards, radio and TV.  I bet we would see an increase in recruiting.

[RiverAux]

While there can be a national effort to do that sort of thing, it should not be a replacement for local PAOs and the relationship that they are supposed to have with their own local media.  In a situation where multiple squadrons share the same media market, the group or wing (as appropriate) should take the lead in dealing with that market or a lead PAO from within those squadrons should be designated to deal with them to avoid confusion. 

[brasda91]

While there can be a national effort to do that sort of thing, it should not be a replacement for local PAOs and the relationship that they are supposed to have with their own local media.  In a situation where multiple squadrons share the same media market, the group or wing (as appropriate) should take the lead in dealing with that market or a lead PAO from within those squadrons should be designated to deal with them to avoid confusion. 

I live in a tri-state area.  3 tv stations cover our viewing area, 1 tv station in each state.  The 3 tv stations are the local tv stations.  Even though I live in Western KY, I still watch the stations in Southern IL and Missouri.  I'm sure there are other people that watch all 3 tv stations, even though they live here in my hometown.  I'm trying to cover all the media outlets that are available to my hometown.

I know the Southern IL squadron hasn't contacted the tv station in Southern IL.  I have a good relationship with the squadron commander, to the point that if any interest generates out of Southern IL, that I will refer them to him.  If anybody out of Missouri calls me, I'll refer them to a squadron in Missouri.  If any of the tv stations were to say they have already been contacted by another squadron, great!  I'll leave that tv station alone.  To this point, it seems no one has taken the initiative to contact them.