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A heads-up to ad agencies who have non-profit clients—Clear Channel, the 600 pound gorilla of radio, just announced its “localism initiative”.

What this means to you is that CC stations are now required by their company to run public service announcements—12 minutes per day, 84 minutes per week. (Before this, it was a shot in the dark as to whether your PSA’s would actually run.)

A Little Background.
Pre-Reagan Administration, radio stations were required by the FCC to run public service and public affairs programming. It was part of the station’s service to the community, because it ran on the public airwaves. Deregulation put an end to that requirement, and non-profits had to beg, cajole and shell out cash to get their messages on the air. At best, free PSA’s would run in the middle of the night, or where the station couldn’t sell the airtime.

The Error of its Ways
Bill Clinton’s signing of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 resulted in radio behemoths like Clear Channel—a major corporation focused on the bottom line. In order to increase its margins and benefit its stockholders, these massive corporations turned away from local programming, and fed programming from a central location. Profit margins increased, but local listenership dropped. Realizing that radio is, at its essence, a local medium, Clear Channel is turning back to the community.

Get the Word Out!
Tell your non-profit clients that radio is once again a viable medium for their message. And let us know if we can help.