Preview Ads on WAMC
Take a look at where ads are displayed on wamc.org by following this link here.
Take a look at where ads are displayed on wamc.org by following this link here.
As a part of your web ad agreement, you must supply WAMC with a web ad. You can preview what web ads look like on WAMC here.
While there are many ways to create ads, our recommendations are to either hire a designer to create your ad, or create your ad yourself by using a platform like Canva.
Hiring a designer is great if you don’t have the time, aren’t very creative or tech savy or just want to ensure that your brand’s look and feel is consistent with the message you want to communicate to potential customers. A great designer will be able to look at your current brand, and help you create an ad that is clickable and communicates to people efficiently.
Creating your own ad is a great option if you are a tech savy, creative business with a good handle on your brand’s message, look and feel. There are plenty of ways to create the ad, but we recommend Canva because of it’s ease of use and free access option.
The policy of the Federal Communications Commission officially prohibits non-profit radio stations from airing paid advertisements. Over time, it was determined that airing underwriting credits was an acceptable option, as a way for public radio stations to thank their business sponsors. The technical definition of what they allowed was simply 1) The name of the business, 2) The location of the business, and 3) A brief description of products and services.
Over the years, the nature of these has developed. For instance, Location now provides for placement of phone numbers or websites, and official trade slogans have been approved on the basis that they serve to identify the underwriter.
WAMC’s underwriting announcements are written in a 10-second format, so using a stopwatch to check the spot time is always encouraged! Below is an example that is FCC-compliant, meets timing requirements, and utilizes all of the above:
SUPPORT FOR WAMC COMES FROM GARRETT ELECTRICAL SERVICES, CHATHAM, NEW YORK – – – PROVIDING NEW WIRING, REPAIRS, AND EMERGENCY SERVICES FOR HOMES AND BUSINESSES FOR OVER 30 YEARS. “SERVICE MADE PERSONAL.” GARRETT ELECTRICAL DOT BIZ.
While we do have some freedom to create announcements, the FCC still heavily regulates sponsorships. Though the FCC itself has rarely provided any specific guidance on what should not be said, through court cases over the years, we’ve inferred a few things that the FCC seems to take issue with, and while this is by no means comprehensive, these are some of the most common problems:
• Qualitative
o The FCC prohibits underwriters from describing their business with phrasing that makes a claim of quality. This could be as simple as “THE BEST SERVICE”, or “DELICIOUS FOOD”.
Endorsements fall under this umbrella, including both explicit endorsements, as well as more subtle endorsements such as awards or certifications.
This also applies to verbs, in which underwriting announcements must avoid any statements of success. Instead, all language must be aspirational, if mentioning a goal; “HELPING THOSE SEEKING EMPLOYMENT” is fine, “GETTING JOBS FOR SEEKERS” would not be.
If you’d like to reach out to our news team, please send a detailed but concise email to submissions@wamc.org . Our news team monitors this inbox and will be in touch if they are interested in pursuing a story. A friendly reminder that our news team receives hundreds of messages a day, so it is not always possible to respond.
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