AREA NOT FOR PROFITS
Underwriting Guidelines for Not for Profit organizations
Non Commercial Radio stations like KDRP are forbidden by the FCC from airing commercial spot announcements, “paid programming from businesses/individuals, or raising money for any purpose except the station’s own expenses. KDRP and hundreds of other educational radio/TV stations are permitted to
1) Air ‘enhanced underwriting announcements” acknowledging financial support from businesses and for profit organizations.
2) Accept financial underwriting to air programming provided by non-profit organizations such as Church’s, ministries, and civic clubs and associations. These programs must be aired “in the public interest” and cannot include fundraising or financial considerations.
3) Solicit donations from individuals and families.
Underwriting from businesses and other for- profit organizations
Donations may be acknowledged by a brief factual announcement of not more than 30 seconds.
Permitted:
Required Preamble: Support from KDRP comes from: financial support for KDRP programming comes from: support for KDRP (show) programming comes from etc
Business name: AAA Carpets
Factual (value neutral description) statement about business with Brand name if necessary: Factory Authorized Mohawk Carpet Dealer Installing Mohawk Stainmaster Carpets in Central Texas
Close with two of three (phone number, physical location or web address)
By phone at 555-5555 or on the web at aaacarpetworld.bla
Prohibited and subject to FCC fines:
1) Comparative or Qualitative statements
2) Price information
3) “Calls to action” or statements encouraging listeners to contact or patronize the donor
4) Endorsements (actual or inferred) from station and or any member of staff
5) Repetitive statements like phone number several times
6) Radio type language/voices/jingles/music beds
7) Slogans which are comparative or cannot be proven
Underwriting from Church’s, Ministries, and other Non Profit Organizations
Stations may air programs and announcements from Not for Profit entities if the material aired is deemed as advancing the public interest, rather in return for consideration.
Permitted: everything a for profit entity is allowed plus
1) Comparative or qualitative Statement
2) “Calls to action”
3) Some price information such as ticket prices
4) Printed materials and Audio/Video tapes may be offered and brief request for donations
Prohibited and subject to FCC fines:
1) Announcements totaling more than three minutes of a thirty minute program encouraging listeners/viewers to send money.
2) NCE Radio stations like KDRP are forbidden to interrupt regular programming to solicit/raise money for any purpose except its (KDRP’S) own operating expenses. Specifically, money can NOT be raised to help victims of disasters or groups like the Red Cross or Salvation Army, unless done in brief Public Service Announcements and can never be done in regular programming.
Third Party Fundraising by NCE stations, in studio interviews and PSA’s for Not for Profits
1) Since many of the KDRP On Air personalities are Volunteers and in an effort to not venture into gray interpretive areas of the FCC Fundraising Rules as they relate to Noncommercial Radio stations, with the guidance of the FCC and FCC Council; the Principle Broadcasting Foundation owners of KDRP Community Radio observes the following rules related to Third Party Fundraising, Public Service Announcements and live in studio interviews for Not for Profit organizations.
a. Public Service Announcements must be submitted 30 days in advance of events to KDRP Community Radio, 700 Highway 290 West, Dripping Springs, Texas 78620 or by email to ryan@kdrplive.org.
i. Approval process
1. Must be a Not for Profit organization or extraordinary event to help individual or cause
2. No Commercial business/s are involved
3. No fundraising or pricing levels mentioned.
4. Posting the event would serve the needs of the community.
5. Upon approval by management
6. Copy will be edited to fit within FCC rules
7. Approved PSA’s will be posted in the Community or Event section of the KDRPLIVE.ORG website.
8. Approved PSA’s for events will be mentioned in rotation with other Community events on the air in the KDRP Community Calendar, up to three days before event.
b. Sponsored Underwriting Announcements will be made available to Not for Profit Organization. Prerecorded Underwriting announcements will follow the same on air format as for profit organizations but will be allowed some latitude in terms of call to action and comparative and qualitative statements. Mention of Fundraising information, raffles, lotteries, or gambling are not allowed. Sponsored Underwriting announcements will air within normal pre scheduled Underwriting breaks along with For Profit Underwriting Announcement’s. Sponsored Underwriting Announcements cannot mention a For Profit organization/s and cannot interrupt normal flow of programming.
c. In studio Interviews
i. For Profit business representatives are not allowed on the air as guest host either in studio or by phone interview for the purpose of advancing their business or cause even if they are Underwriters or personal contributors to the NCE radio/tv station.
ii. The FCC has mandated that NCE Broadcasters like KDRP cannot raise funds for other noncommercial or non profit groups, if that fundraising “substantially alters or suspends regular programming” of the station. Even if a direct “ask for money” or fundraising equation isn’t present, the question could be asked “why are they being interviewed in a KDRP talk/music program if not for the purpose of raising money for their organization? KDRP in its mission to provide a Community Voice for the Citizens of The Texas Hill Country is only allowed by the FCC to raise money for KDRP. Rules articulated, the Board of Directors and management of KDRP are sensitive to those smaller Public Service Organizations, Associations and individuals in need who might never have the opportunity to get their message out to the masses. We feel our approach to PSA announcements described herein should suffice in servicing those smaller organizations and the needs of the public in general. KDRP will provide all Not for Profit organizations the ability to air Sponsored Underwriting Announcements as described in this document. In studio interviews will be pre-recorded and are to be no more than 3 minutes in length out of a 30 minute segment or 6 minutes in an hour. Guest are to speak about the