Broadcast: Extending your publicity punch
Have you ever thought of broadcast outlets for extending the reach and frequency of your publicity? Radio and TV stations are just as hungry for news as is the print media. Both radio and TV offer the great advantage of updated input which a daily newspaper just cannot accommodate once it is off the press and on the street. Furthermore, by its use of sound and, in the case of TV, motion, broadcast is a medium which can more effectively communicate the excitement of skiing.
Consider the potential. Major radio and TV networks plus independent wire services feed news 24 hours a day to over 10,000 broadcast outlets.
In addition, each one of these local publicity sources is also out scratching around for news for their listeners and viewers. Major radio and TV stations, as well as syndicated services, are especially hungry from Friday afternoon until Sunday noon. Feeding them particularly during those hours will put you on their good-guy list.
There are various ways a station can be of assistance in getting your news placed and you should become familiar with them. The best bet is to visit program and news directors and soak up the realities of the medium and then determine how you best fit in. Shy away from aiming publicity at “specials”—interviews, panel or group discussions, etc.—because of the time and preparation needed for such a program format and, frankly, the limited chances of success. The greater potential lies with spot news and, if appropriate, community service announcements.
While considering broadcast, don’t overlook the possibility of tape and film. Your publicity energies should not be limited to typewritten releases, particularly in this age of tape cassettes. An interview can be taped and/or filmed at a convenient time to you and aired later at a more desirable time. If Johnny Carson can do it, why can’t you?
There are certain points to remember when producing copy for broadcast. It’s not the same technique you’d use for print. First. you will be preparing copy for the voice, not the eye. Be informal but don’t be breezy. If you’d normally say “let’s” in ordinary conversation instead of “let us,” write it that way. Type all copy on triple space on 8½ by 11-inch paper. (Not onion skin, please. It rattles on the air.) Use one side only and begin your news about one-third of the way down the page. Leave ample margins on both sides of the sheet. Hold your message to 150 words (about 60 seconds air-time). Naturally, be factual. For radio placement, time your copy: 25 words will run about 10 seconds, 50 words about 50 seconds and 150 words about a minute. Copy written to fit 20 or even 30 seconds stands a good chance of being used. On very local stations, the time can be stretched even more because yours is local news.
When preparing the release, use simple, descriptive words that form pictures, give feeling and color. Unlike print, radio is aimed at the ear and don’t be timid about forwarding more than one copy of the same release to the same station, especially if it is a large one. What the sports editor misses, the news director might catch.
For TV programming, prepare your release so that it will time slightly slower than for radio; 10 seconds accomodates about 20 words, 20 seconds about 40 words, and 60 seconds about 125 words. If you are providing visuals to accompany your copy, provide one slide or photograph for about every 10 seconds of speaking. There are dozens of how-to’s for using visuals for TV programming; your best bet is to ask a station to spell out the specifics. It will be about the same for all TV outlets, regardless of size.
Just as with your advertising strategy, print media should be a part of your publicity mix. But don’t overlook broadcast in either case. Radio and TV are linked intimately with the largest audience known to man. And they’re hungry for your material.—P.C.
