TV Broadcast and In-Store Public Service Announcements

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is pleased to announce the availability of a 30 second Public Service Announcement (PSA) in English and Spanish. These PSAs are a national version of a PSA developed by the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz, California, as part of a 2002 SNAP Outreach Grant.

What is the PSA about?
The PSA promotes the nutrition benefits of SNAP. The PSA talks about the basics -- family, health, shelter, and enough to eat. It shows a mother and her young daughter grocery shopping and using their SNAP electronic benefit card to purchase nutritious food. It ends with the family eating a healthy meal together.

Can I see and hear the PSA online?
Yes, you can see and hear a small and compressed streaming version of the PSA at the following links. It is available in both Windows Media Player and RealPlayer formats, in both high- and low-bandwidth versions. If clicking on a link does not launch the PSA on your computer, then open the application and paste the link in. For example, using Windows Media Player, launch the player; click on “File” and then on “Open URL”; paste the URL into the box and press Enter. With RealPlayer, launch the player; click on “File” and then on “Open”; paste the URL into the box and press Enter.

WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER FILE HIGH & LOW BANDWIDTH (English Version)

mms://151.121.2.21/content/fns/englishigh.wmv  (High bandwidth English Version)
mms://151.121.2.21/content/fns/englishlow.wmv  (Low bandwidth English Version)

WINDOWS MEDIA PLAYER FILE HIGH & LOW BANDWIDTH (Spanish Version)

mms://151.121.2.21/content/fns/spanishigh.wmv  (High bandwidth Spanish Version)
mms://151.121.2.21/content/fns/spanishlow.wmv  (Low bandwidth Spanish Version)

REAL PLAYER FILE HIGH & LOW BANDWIDTH (English Version)

rtsp://151.121.2.22/content/fns/englishigh.rm   (High bandwidth English Version)
rtsp://151.121.2.22/content/fns/englishlow.rm   (Low bandwidth English Version)

REAL PLAYER FILE HIGH & LOW BANDWIDTH (Spanish Version)

rtsp://151.121.2.22/content/fns/spanishigh.rm  (High bandwidth Spanish Version)
rtsp://151.121.2.22/content/fns/spanishlow.rm  (Low bandwidth Spanish Version)

How can I use the PSA?
The PSAs are appropriate for broadcast use (television and cable) and for in-store play by businesses such as supermarkets and department stores that have video public address systems.

Who can use the PSA?
States, community organizations, faith-based groups, or businesses doing SNAP outreach can use the PSA as an educational tool in their outreach efforts. They can also “pitch” the PSA to local television or cable stations.

How do I “pitch” the PSA?
Contact the PSA Director at your local television or cable station and inquire about the possibility of getting the PSA aired in your community as a public service and in support of your SNAP outreach efforts. If your local retailers have in-store video capabilities, talk to the store manager about getting this PSA added to the play-list as a public service.

Can I localize the PSA?
Yes. There are two versions. One version contains our national toll free number (1-800-221-5689). The other version enables the user to overlay a local telephone number or other contact information. If desired, the national number can also be included with the local number.

How can I get a copy of the PSA?
Send an email to SNAPoutreach@fns.usda.gov . Please indicate whether you are requesting it for TV/cable broadcast or for in-store play. These versions are very similar but are licensed differently. Therefore, it is important to request the correct version for your use.

What format is the master tape?
The master tape is high-quality Betacam SP format.

Last modified: 12/31/2008