So, Where did it all begin? Well, circa 1966, a lawyer in Washington complained to the Washington Post that with all of the cigarette advertising in newspapers, there should be a public service ad for the anti-smoking people who did not have a voice (or a budget). This got a lot of tv stations across the country nervous. You see, when TV stations go up for license renewal, they have to show what portion of their schedule is devoted to public service time. Bam - Boom - Bang! A new industry was born!
Some producers in New York City and Washington, D.C. began producing what today is known as the tv public service spot. In the 1960s the spots were sixty-seconds in length, and usually were a call to action on safety in the home, driving safety, food safety, and on and on - and, the evils of smoking! The sponsors had a tag at the end of the spot that appeared less than 10 seconds, as the rule was that no sponsor mention could be on longer than that time frame. The big surprise, however, were who the sponsors were - (getting free airtime). Companies like Prudential Insurance, Metropolitan Life, Avis Rent-A-Car, Gulf Oil, as well as non-profit associations, government, etc. As the 70s began, it became a cottage industry.
Today, sponsors of a public service commercial must be non-profits or not-for-profits. And, as the times changed, so has the length of a spot - to 30 seconds. One of the most popular questions usually is "Yeah, but how many of the airings are in the wee hours of the morning?" Well, that has a lot to do with what time of the year you release your public service spot. During the summer months, stations in New York City, for example, may have as much as 100 minutes per day devoted to public/community service. That window starts narrowing as you get into September, and recedes even further in October and November. For example, in December, those same stations will have only 3 minutes of public service time per day, due to the heavy load of advertisers. Come January, that figure jumps right back up to 100 minutes. So, your spot will air in what is known as "run of station."
As someone who has produced/directed over 200 PSA's, I'm going to offer you (for free my all-knowing wisdom in one phrase: "Get Emotional." This is what sells public service messages. Don't let anyone tell you anything different! Here in New York when I watch the local network affiliates roll out one of their leading stars from their network show, and they say something like: "Don't Smoke - It's Not Good For You" - I always say out loud, "What Bull Shit. - You're promoting your show!"
If you're planning to produce a PSA for your company or client, the first thing to think of is the concept. Here is where a professional producer of PSA's comes in real handy. He/She can tell you what the current climate is for acceptance, what time-length, and how to distribute (extremely important). When thinking of the actual production, here is my simple but highly effective procedure: Break the spot down into three sections - the opening, the middle, and the close. The opening should be pure dynamite! Very dramatic. You want the viewers attention. In the middle portion, you tell your story. The close is a "Call to Action" and here is where we again get emotional. You've got to leave the viewer with a strong picture and message.
Distribution: I could write an entire chapter here alone. The distributor has got to be on top of current conditions, and have a strong working relationship with television and cable outlets. You should be getting tens-of-thousands of airings in a three-month period, with the life of the spot being six-months, although you will be getting airings for up to a year.
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