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Make
a contact list of the radio stations in the area. Call the station and ask
for their mailing address and the names of the station manager, program
director, public service director (PSD) and the news director. This is
important, for you will be using them all at a later time.
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Then
pick the radio station you want to contact first and call to make an
appointment with whoever handles PSAs. Have available different types and
lengths of PSAs.
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If
you receive an appointment, then you have the opportunity to send trained
volunteers to make a brief PI presentation. Take
written information in order to share about who we are and what we are
trying to do.
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Remember
to present information only. Don’t promote! The media has no
responsibility to follow our traditions, that is our job.
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Wherever
possible, quote from or discuss NA Conference-approved literature. This will
ensure a consistent message and provide information on the literature we
have available.
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All
persons involved in the contact should feel prepared, be polite and be
patient! Creating a good rapport with the media will make future contacts
more productive.
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If
the Public Service Director doesn’t have time for an appointment, ask if
you can drop off a PSA at the front desk.
Make
sure to include a cover letter or more information about NA so they will
know what the content of the PSA is without having to listen to it.
In each case, try to find out when they would start airing.
Remember, most radio stations do not have a process for returning
audio tapes, so your committee should consider it as a donation.
In smaller communities, you can sometimes develop a relationship with
the PSD that will enable your audio tape to be reused or returned to you,
but rarely is this possible in metropolitan areas.
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Immediately
after the contact is made, send a thank you note for the appointment and/or
their time regardless of whether you got to see them or not.
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In
about two weeks, call the PSD and inquire when you might pick up your copy
of the audio tape. This serves two purposes. One, the PSA won’t get lost
in the shuffle. Two, it offers you the chance to enhance the relationship
and show continued interest.
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Always
report to the ASC/RSC about which radio stations have the spot and ask
groups to let you know if a member reports hearing it. This gives the
opportunity to send another thank you letter to the station. This time, send
it to the station manager, thanking him for the station’s efforts.
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Take
a new selection to each of your stations regularly and review their
commitment to air your PSAs.
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Keep
a calendar of contact dates and action taken.
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As always, regional and area boundaries must be considered prior to any contact. Although you may feel quite prepared for the outcome of any media contact, a nearby area that may be affected by the contact and might not be prepared.
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The advantage of this type of contact is that you are asking the media to broadcast our message, rather than fulfilling their informational needs. It is important to have all information to be presented prepared prior to the actual contact.
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Don’t get frustrated if your PSA effort does not seem to be resulting in new members or increased phoneline activity. At first, there may be a good deal of concern about phonelines being flooded with calls. In many cases, the amount of incoming calls stay about the same. Remember our primary purpose and if just one addict calls, it’s worth the effort.
