Here we go with the top issues of the radio community service directors this week: the most mentioned and highest-ranking concerns from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from Canada to Mexico, hot off the charts of the National Media Survey of Radio Community Service Directors!
Getting right down to the nitty gritty on the hit parade, the numero-uno chart topper is the health of radio listeners. This was the consensus of the 100+ radio community service directors surveyed across the United States. Health came in as the most important specific issue for stations to support and the issue they most wanted our government to take on with public service advertising.
After mentioning diseases affecting their communities, radio media directors flipped their focus to human behaviors associated with health. These ranged from a person acting on a prevention-related service (e.g., vaccinations) to modifying lifestyle choices (e.g., eating healthy).
The findings underscore the very consequential role that public service advertising plays with respect to health. While human behavior is hard to change, it is possible, and public service campaigns are a proven means to that end.
But that’s not where the positive news end. The hits just keep on coming! Not only do radio media directors believe public service advertising is very or extremely useful, 12% project a rise in the time allotted for PSAs. A further 82 out of 97 predict that PSA time will remain stable, even in these continued tough economic times.
So, in the immortal words of Casey Kasem, “Keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars. And keep your radio tuned right where it is.”
Along with listening to America’s Top 40, we now have another reason to stay tuned: Our radio stations are committed to solving the health and social issues affecting our lives and those we love. That’s a “hit” that’s likely to be holding steady on our charts for quite some time to come.
Excellent news that media directors are still committed to airing PSA campaigns. Kudos to the radio stations!
My only concern is for charities with missions in other important categories such as homelessness, abuse, environment, education, etc. They are all worthy of the same radio exposure. So, while I applaud media directors, I would also encourage them to be open minded about equity.
Very informative survey. Thanks.