Underwriting Announcement Guidelines
90.5 WESA and 91.3 WYEP are noncommercial public radio stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). FCC guidelines allow noncommercial stations to acknowledge contributions over the air, but not to broadcast commercials or otherwise promote the goods and services of for-profit donors or underwriters.
Underwriting differs from commercial advertising in both sound and spirit. The public radio audience responds best to straightforward information presented in a concise, clear and sincere manner. Our corporate support representatives will work with clients to craft announcement copy that is compliant with FCC guidelines and station policy. In this way, the special integrity of the relationship between the station and its listeners extends to the underwriter as well.
Announcements on 90.5 WESA and 91.3 WYEP are
- 20 seconds in length.
- voiced by staff announcers. We do not air announcements that have been produced outside of our facilities or that use music beds.
- subject to approval by 90.5 WESA and 91.3 WYEP management.
Announcements on 90.5 WESA and 91.3 WYEP may include
- standard opening line, such as "Support for WYEP comes from our members, and from..."
or “90.5 WESA is supported by…” or “Today’s programming is supported by …” - standard closing line: "More information is available at {phone number} or online at {web address}”, unless there is a registered tag line. (A registered tag line can be the closing line.)
- sponsor's name
- location of business
- phone number and/or Internet address
- value - neutral description of business, products and services
Please note, per FCC guidelines and PCBC policy, announcements may not include:
- qualitative or comparative language (“best,” “greatest,” “most reliable,” “oldest,” “largest,” etc.)
- subjective language (“fun-filled,” “enjoyable,” “long awaited,” “by popular demand,” etc.)
- promotional language
- calls to action (such as “call,” “stop by,” “email,” “visit”; or phrases prompting action)
- pricing information ("just $19.95 a month," free,” “10% percent off,” “no down payment,” etc.)
- inducements to buy, sell, or lease (“while supplies last,” “special gift,” “limited offer,” etc.)
- credentials ( “board certified,” “award winning,” etc.)
- endorsements such as “recommended by New York Times,” “the Wall Street Journal says,” “U.S. News & World Report’s Top 10,” etc.; pronouns such as "you," "your," "our," and "we" are not allowed in underwriting language since they suggest endorsement on the part of the station
Disclaimer: 90.5 WESA and 91.3 WYEP will not air funding announcements that contain language advocating for any cause, group or individual. We reserve the right to refuse any request for underwriting that would violate an FCC rule or policy, violate station policies or adversely affect the reputation or financial condition of the station. No announcements will be aired on behalf of political organizations, political candidates or their committees, or that express a view on issues of public importance or interest or religious belief. 90.5 WESA and 91.3 WYEP will consider each request on a case-by-case basis.
Questions? Contact underwriting@wesa.fm