Broadcasters, Cable Commit To Michelle Obama PSAs

Announcements an effort to help with relief for Haiti

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/14/2010 2:47:41 PM

First Lady Michelle Obama is taping Haitian relief public service announcements at the White House this afternoon in conjunction with the Ad Council and the Red Cross, according to Ad Council spokesperson Ellyn Fisher.

The National Cable & Telecommunications Association, the National Association of Broadcasters and "all the major cable and broadcast networks" have all committed  to running the PSAs calling for donations to the Red Cross to help victims of the Haiti earthquake, said Fisher.

The 30-second TV and radio spots will be distributed to stations, nets and MSO's via satellite as early as today, she said, as well as being posted on YouTube.

Fisher said NCTA, NAB and the nets all volunteered airtime for the effort. The Council puts donated creative together with airtime to get the message out on a host of social issues from drunk driving and teen dating to fire prevention.

On a related note, the Federal Trade Commission put out an advisory Thursday telling people to "choose carefully" when they get appeals for aid from "the news, online, and at social networking sites."