How To be Ambitious with PSA Campaigns
A television public service commentary from Thomas Goodgame, President, Group W Television Station, New York

The broadcasting industry has a head start on all others in terms of community service. Television, as the most powerful medium, is certainly a unique presence in our lives, and broadcasters deal with that responsibility on a daily basis by contributing large amounts of time and resources to community concerns. True, we are bound by the FCC and common sense to make this effort, but I think it's safe to say that most of us exceed the guidelines.

We've all done a series of public service announcements or a one-month public service effort that may. in addition to PSA's, include the airing of a one-hour special and community outreach to local or organizations. PSA campaigns run by television stations across the country raise the level of awareness on local and national issues of concern and are valuable to the communities served, but they are only the beginning. I believe that broadcasters must go beyond the PSA campaign to make a significant impact on the public we serve the question becomes how to do it.

Group W has learned - and is still learning - that an ambitious public service campaign requires more than funds and manpower. By undertaking projects like "Second Chance" and "For Kids' Sake," we've hit on four major points that are critical to success: commitment to the campaign, finding the right project taking a step-by-step approach and looking out for problems. Let's look at these points one at a time.

• If you decide to go beyond the PSA campaign, you must have a solid commitment to go the long haul. And that entails the commitment to a specific cause the commitment to meet the needs of your community, and the commitment to follow through on your promise. This commitment starts at the top. A general manager must demonstrate commitment to an ambitious campaign so that each department will, in turn, recognize it as a station priority. A long-term station campaign requires all departments to work together as a team for the overall effort to succeed.
• A successful campaign involves the right project - one that will have meaning for your viewers and at the same time, will attract advertisers. The best way to choose your campaign issue is to form a working group to brainstorm ideas. This group should include the public relation, public affairs, editorial, news, programming and sales department. Look at the range of worthy social issues - health, drugs, crime, the homeless, the hungry, racism, education - and determine which issue will affect your community. Try to keep your focus as broad as possible, so you can reach large segments of your audience with your message. Keep your campaign "issue original" and not connected to existing institutions or events in your market. Make it an issue that will involve the entire station, with every department working together to achieve maximum impact. Finally, create your campaign around an issue that will yield a measurable result, with significant known benefits to your viewers.

Take a step-by-step approach as you develop your campaign. Here are some of the steps to help insure your success:

1. Decide on a start date, then work backward from that point.
2. Do your homework. Research the sub-issues you plan to build your campaign around.
3. Meet with community leaders and advocates in the field your campaign address. Learn which issues need immediate attention in your community and what problems are in search of solutions. Determine whom, at the community level, you'd like to work with as the campaign develops and who will spread the work to their own networks.
4. Keep your campaign working group intact to develop the structure of the campaign and determine how to treat various subjects. Establish which station talent you want most involved in the campaign. Develop a variety of on- and off-air plans to focus your campaign issue. Remember that you can't cover everything or plan for everything as you begin. Leave room to grow.
5. Appoint a campaign coordinator to keep the station the community and the sponsors informed of upcoming events and programs.
6. Develop events with your sponsors or other community organizations. Some you will want to announce at your launch, others will develop during your campaign.
7. You may want to pitch the campaign to potential sponsors prior to launch. An incentive for sponsors to sign on early is the visibility they'll receive from the press launch.
8. Organize a press/community kickoff. Develop press and sales kit materials. Produce several PSA's, a news series and an ad to launch the campaign.
9. As the campaign unfolds to your community, your station will continue to plan community events and to produce specials. PSA's, editorials and news segments relating to your campaign issue. The ebb and flow of the campaign will depend on the station's inventory levels, but off-air events can compensate for times when on-air inventory is low.
10. Identify ways to measure campaign success whether form viewer feedback, legislation passed, collateral material distributed or attendance at special campaign community events.

Be aware of two potential problems when embarking on an extensive total station effort - it is labor-intensive and it is costly. However, there are solutions.

1. When you involve all departments of your station, you can potentially run into problems if your effort is not well coordinated. That's why I've recommended you appoint a station coordinator as soon as you begin. Another way to avoid problems due to the labor-intensive nature of the campaign is by capitalizing on the things you already do at the station. A longterm campaign places all your departments under a single umbrella. At Group W, we have found our staff puts out more and works better together when it gains focus.
2. Where do you get the money to pay for all the programming, collateral material and events fees? The key in a campaign of this nature is the opportunity to form a true public/private partnership with your sponsors on behalf of your community. It is critical that your sales staff serve as liaison between your sponsors and the station to maximize their involvement. The multitude of programming hours and the strong community components of your campaign are attractive and valuable to your sponsors and they are willing to pay for them.

An integrated total station commitment to an important issue can benefit the quality of life in your market and bring your community recognition for your effort. The level of your commitment to public service determines the level of community recognition you get back.

What is most exciting is that we have turned the television set into a meaningful instrument to help our community. And when we use our power as broadcasters for the public good people will say good things about television - and about your station.