KSQD is proud to support our local community through Public Service Announcements. To make sure yours gets heard, here are some tips from our PSA Director, Michael Bryant:
Who, What, Where, Why and When? The five “W’s” are the basics of any good news story. We also use them in public service announcements aired on KSQD.
You hear PSAs (we love our acronyms) on most radio stations. K-Squid airs a couple hundred
PSAs each month. They could be anything from a beekeeper’s group meeting to a boy scout
pancake breakfast or support groups for women with cancer.
Nonprofit groups in Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito Counties rely on KSQD to help
promote their events and organizations. We air these spots free of charge, as a public service.
This kind of outreach is critical for nonprofits with little or no advertising budget.
Back to the five “W’s”. When someone emails K-Squid with a PSA request , a volunteer
makes sure the W’s are answered. After formatting the notice for clarity and grammar, a printed copy is placed in our mighty PSA Binder (picture). K-Squid program hosts thumb through the binder and choose which PSAs they would like to read over the airwaves. After an
announcement has expired, it’s typically replaced by two new ones (we get a lot of PSA requests!). It’s time consuming to do, but we feel it’s an important public service to both K-Squid, its listeners, and local nonprofits. Beyond time devoted by volunteers, this process also requires resources such as printer ink and reams of paper.
Your donation to KSQD during Santa Cruz Gives will help defray these expenses, allowing us to aid more local organizations throughout the Monterey Bay area. If you have any questions about submitting a PSA, email us anytime at psa@ksqd.
