Public Service Announcement / Event Announcement Guidelines

Notices must be in our hands at least two weeks before we can air them.
Submit the following information using our online form:

Date

Start Time

End Time

Length of Event (for multi-day events)

Event Title

Location

Description

Writing a Good Description

To improve the effectiveness of your announcement, write a good description.

1. Keep it short: not more than 70 words long.
2. Cover the five "W's": Who, What, When, Where, Why. Tell us...
   1. Why our listeners will find it interesting.
   2. What the event is.
   3. Where it is being held.
   4. Who is putting it on.
   5. When it's happening (time, day, date, month).
   6. When the announcement should run, and when it should end.
   7. No announcement will run more than three weeks.

3. Indicate ticket prices or other charges.
4. Make it clear how names are pronounced (include phonetic versions)
5. Include contact information that our listeners can refer to.
6. Let us know in plenty of time if you have to cancel your event.

Sample Public Service Announcement

Note how we've indicated the Who, What, When, Where, Why after each sentence. You don't have to do that in your notice. It's just there to help you see how the guidelines apply.

Have you ever wondered why an airplane stays up in the air?
(This is the WHY)

You can find out...at an exhibit called THE MYSTERY OF FLIGHT.
(This answers WHAT)

It's at the MacDonnell Board of Education Science Fair, Monday, June 5.
(This answers WHO, WHERE and WHEN)

The school is at the corner of Maple Avenue and Woodlawn Street, in Ottawa.
(This answers WHERE)

(63 words)

Contact: Mrs. Jones, at Maplewood High School, 567-8901

This announcement can run from May 23 to June 4.

Pronunciation: MacDonnell is pronounced Mac DONN'l as in MacDonald without the final "d".

Submit your Event with the Public Service Announcement Form

Submit your PSA using the email addresses to the right.

CBC Thunder Bay

CBC.ca Thunder Bay