$1.7-Billion Worth of Exposure Donated for Public-Service Ads

More than $1.7-billion worth of advertising exposure was donated last year by broadcasters, publishers, Internet sites, and others for public-service announcements, a 33-percent increase over 2003, said the Ad Council, which produces about 50 public-service campaigns on behalf of charities and government agencies.

Donations by all types of news and entertainment media rose, except in the case of television stations, whose total contributions dropped by 9 percent, to $333-million. The television time declined partly because local and national stations are developing their own public-service campaigns featuring celebrities from their own programs, says Peggy Conlon, the council’s president.

Among the largest gains in contributed time or space came from movie theaters, convenience stores, and companies that put advertising in elevators. The value of such donations rose by nearly 76 percent, to $51-million. Free airtime on radio stations increased 65 percent, to $952-million, and advertisements on outdoor billboards and on trains, buses, and other types of public transportation increased by 58 percent, to $67-million. Magazines donated $37-million worth of space to the messages, an increase of 42 percent.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s emergency-preparedness campaign was the biggest beneficiary of ad donations, with $199-million in free placements.