How to write a sponsorship message.
If you become an APM sponsor, we work closely with you to develop expertly produced audio spots.
Your dedicated Account Executive will coordinate with you to develop a script that meets your marketing needs. They’ll then work with our our best-in-class audio production talent to record the spot.
Below are some tips and guidelines for broadcast and podcast sponsorship spot development.
Length
Sponsorship messages on broadcast properties are either :10 or :15 seconds in length and vary depending on the show. Podcast sponsorship messages are usually :15 or :30, and sometimes :60 seconds in length. The Account Executive that you’re working with can let you know how long the spots associated with your package are.
A 10-second spot is approximately 25 words in length.
A 15-second spot is approximately 38 words in length.
A 30-second spot is approximately 75 words in length
A 60-second spot is approximately 150 words in length
Want to time a script that’s already written? You can use this script timer tool - make sure to set the timer at 2.5 words per second for an accurate measurement.
Broadcast Spot Content
Just as public radio’s programming differs from commercial radio, sponsorship messages differ from standard commercials.
Current FCC regulations allow public radio stations to carry sponsorship messaging, or what is sometimes referenced as the industry term enhanced underwriting announcements. These announcements allow sponsors to provide listeners with important information about their businesses, products, and services.
After the mention of your company's name, you may include:
The general location of your business
Up to three trade names, product names, or service listings
Factual, value-neutral descriptions of products or services
The length of time your company has been operating
Established slogans that identify but do not promote
Either a web address or a vanity phone number, but not both; no “digits only” phone numbers
Podcast Spot Content
Podcasts’ sponsorship spots aren’t as regulated as broadcast spots. Here are some considerations when writing a script for a podcast spot.
Include a call to action!
You may include promo codes
Include a web address or vanity url - phone number inclusion is not preferable
Other Considerations
Does your company include an acronym?
If your company name is an acronym, each letter needs to be outlined with a dash in between. Why? Because the announcer needs to know to announce each individual letter.
Example: The Daily is distributed by A-P-M, American Public Media.
Does your promo script have a web address in the copy?
If your promo script has a web address, make sure to write out the .com / .org / .net / .gov portion of the website with “dot” and then writing out the last three letters like an acronym, and if the address has more than one word in it - write it in sentence form.
Example: Visit American Public Media dot O-R-G for more information.
Does your company or brand name have an unusual spelling? Spell it out!
Listeners may get frustrated if they look for your show and can’t locate it due to an unusual spelling. If the name of the show is a pun, not found in the dictionary, or a homonym, we recommend spelling it out.
Example: Listen to Broken Harts — spelled H-A-R-T-S — Conde Nast's first-ever narrative podcast on the iHeartRadio App, Apple Podcasts... or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Examples
Here are some examples of different broadcast and podcast sponsorship messages for reference.
Have more questions?
Talk to your dedicated Account Executive or message us to be put in contact with one.