2005 PUBLIC SERVICE: BROADCASTERS GENERATED $10.3 BILLION Jeffrey Yorke – Radio and Records
Last year was a bad year for natural disasters, which made it a good time for broadcasters to contribute to their communities and to mankind. And they did, generating $10.3 billion in donated airtime for public service announcements and money raised for charity and disaster relief, according to a biennial report released this morning by the NAB.
Hurricane Katrina relief and the Southeast Asia Tsunami Relief fund were the two biggest drivers of broadcasters’ fundraising last year. The $10.3 billion exceeds the $9.6 billion in public service funds generated in 2003. The result was obtained from an industry census sent earlier this year to more than 11,000 full-power commercial radio and television stations. This is the fifth biennial survey, and broadcasters were first alerted in late 2004 and then reminded many times throughout 2005 by the NAB to track their charitable acts from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2005.
"This year's survey affirms the longstanding fact that local over-the-air radio and television stations are collectively the No. 1 provider of public service in America," said NAB President/CEO David Rehr. "Whether it's donating airtime for valuable public service announcements or raising money for charity and disaster relief, local broadcasters nationwide can be proud of the tremendous contributions they make in their communities everyday."
Some of the key findings of the report showed local radio stations aired an average of 169 PSAs per week. The value of PSA airtime was based on a "run of schedule" rate, one of the least expensive rates charged to commercial clients. Sixty-one percent of radio PSAs focused on local issues; and 96% of radio stations reported involvement in some type of on-air or off-air disaster-relief activity.
The survey results were released to coincide with the NAB Education Foundation’s annual Service to America Awards gala this evening in Washington, DC. Former President Bill Clinton will be presented with the group’s Leadership Award, while broadcasters from the Gulf Coast region and all over the country will be honored for their “outstanding courage and community service efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina,” says the NABEF. |