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 linked in groups of three events per announcement and are posted on the KPFA website event calendar. Community calendars air the week before the event date about 5 times per week.
What are the PSA 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.
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.
Organizations are allowed one announcement per 30 day period - in the form of a PSA or community calendar announcement. 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. Remember that 'free' is a price.
How Do I Submit A Request For an Event Announcement On KPFA?
Please contact the KPFA First Voice Apprenticeship Program to request a PSA appointment or submit an event for the community calendar.
It is recommended that organizations submit PSA and community calendar requests at least four to six weeks in advance of the event. Events may not be scheduled if requests are received less than 21 days in advance.
Please note: not all recorded PSA's are guaranteed to be scheduled, and not all Community Calendar submissions can be included.
Items Needed for the PSA Appointment
1) 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 should not have direct commands or calls to action, Do not say “Come to..., instead say, "You are invited to ..."
Finished PSA's will be exactly 60 seconds. Therefore, scripts should total no more than 50 seconds reading time. All scripts are subject to editing by the Apprenticeship Program or other programming staff at the station.
2) At least one minute of instrumental music in CD format.
3) 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 Operations. A copy of your script and a copy of the 501 (c) 3 approval information must be included with submission.
PSA & Community Calendar Contacts
PSA Appointment Line: (510) 848-6767 x 617
Additional Information: (510)848-6767 x 235
Email Requests: psa@kpfa.org or calendar@kpfa.org
USPS Mail:
KPFA, Box 51
1929 Martin Luther King Jr Way
Berkeley, CA 94704
Public Service Announcements and Community Calendar Listings are a service of the KPFA First Voice Apprenticeship Program. Questions about our PSA or Community Calendar guidelines can be forwarded to the following:
First Voice Apprenticeship
KPFA Radio 1929 MLK Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704
Telephone: (510) 848-6767 ext. 235
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 at the People’s Community Forum, 1234 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Berkeley. This event is wheel chair accessible and funds raised will benefit Media Progressivo. For more information, call 510-555-1234.
