Local broadcasters “are the number one provider of public service in America,” Eddie Fritts says; and to back up his contention, the president/CEO of the NAB released an updated estimate of the value of public service generated by commercial radio and TV stations.
The NAB puts the number at $9.6 billion for 2003, including airtime donated for PSAs and money raised for charity and disaster relief. The figure is down from the $9.9 billion in public service generated in 2001, which included the events of Sept. 11.
Responses were tabulated by Public Opinion Strategies, a Virginia-based polling firm. Fritts called the value “exceedingly conservative.” The numbers do not include the value of ad revenue lost for breaking news or weather emergencies, or public service at the network level.
Local radio stations aired an average of 195 PSAs per week, while local television stations aired 143.
Public Service Valued at $9.6 Billion
Public Service Valued at $9.6 Billion
