---
title: "Policies and Requirements for General Audience Programs"
canonical: "https://docs.pbs.org/space/PX/3571818/Policies%20and%20Requirements%20for%20General%20Audience%20Programs"
format: markdown
---
**Updated October 2024**

> Macro (toc)

## Digital Inventory

The following inventory is covered by these policies: 

- Display:
  - IAB Standard Units: 970x250, 970x90, 728x90, 300x600, 300x250, 320x50
  - Display unit availability varies by site. Check with the Sponsorship Team for available units.

- Video:
  - Pre-roll from :05 - :30 in length on all content over 3-minutes on PBS managed streaming platforms where sponsorship messaging is available.
  - Mid-roll and Post-roll are not available.

## Inventory Allocation

- Producers can use 95% of their digital display and video inventory, where available, to acknowledge national underwriters.
- 5% of the total online inventory is reserved for PBS Marketing efforts that include, but are not limited to, promotion of national programming and products.
  - PBS Marketing promotions fill available impressions in display and video that are not being used for national underwriting messages.
- SOV Percentage: Producers and/or their sales representative determine the SOV% (share of voice percentage) given to each underwriter.
- Impression Goal Delivery: PBS cannot guarantee or generate impressions.

## Additional Inventory

- Logo Placement on PBS Show Pages:
  - Logos are served via Curate on the show page and delivered at 100% SOV
  - Logo Specs: 120x60 PNG File with transparent background
  - Up to six (6) sponsors can be recognized at one time
- Funder Text:
  - All underwriters can also be recognized in text adjacent to the video player and on the PBS show page.
  - <span style="color: #1d1c1d">[Learn more about funder recognition](https://docs.pbs.org/display/PX/Editorial+Policies+and+Specifications#EditorialPoliciesandSpecifications-FunderRecognition)</span>
- Funder Pods:
  - Underwriters who do not have a pre-roll message can be recognized on digital platforms by including a 15-second card/video on full-length streaming video.
  - [Read more about process and specifications for funder pods ](https://docs.pbs.org/display/PX/Non-Corporate+Funder+Pods)

## Ad Serving Fees

PBS uses Google Ad Manager to deliver display and video underwriting messages. Delivery incurs an ad-serving fee that is passed back to the producer and/or their sales representative.    

- PBS calculates ad-serving fees twice per fiscal year – at the end of December and June. PBS fiscal year is July-June. Producers and/or their sales representative will receive an invoice within 30 days of the close of those months.
- Ad-serving fees are calculated by the following cpms (these are the current rates and subject to change):
  - Display/Banners:
    - Hosted & Third-Party Creative - $0.06 per thousand impressions
  - Video:
    - Hosted Creative - $0.45 per thousand impressions
    - Third-Party Creative - $0.29 per thousand impressions
  - Example Calculation for Ad-Serving Fees:
    - Video: 100,000 impressions x $0.45 cpm = $45.00
    - Display: 100,000 impression x $0.06 cpm = $6.00

Hosted Creative: Creative assets are delivered directly from Google Ad Manager server.

Third-Party Creative: Creative assets are delivered through Google Ad Manager from a third-party tag provided by the Underwriter/Agency.

## Creative Review and Submission

- All digital underwriting creatives must be reviewed and approved by PBS, per [PBS Funding Standards & Practices](https://www.pbs.org/about/producing-pbs/funding-standards.pdf).
- Creatives should be sent to [Dan O’Melia](mailto:dtomelia@pbs.org) (cc: Matt Vogrin and Matt Grubb) for review. To provide sufficient time for any necessary changes, we recommend submitting your creative as early as possible, ideally before the start date of the underwriting campaign. Storyboards and draft copy may be submitted for review.
- Email the team members: [Dan O'Melia](mailto:dtomelia@pbs.org), [Matt Vogrin](mailto:mrvogrin@pbs.org), and [Matt Grubb](mailto:mcgrubb@pbs.org)

## Trafficking Approved Creative

- Producers should submit approved display units and/or video pre-roll at least five (5) business days before the start date.
- A completed [Traffic sheet](https://pbs.box.com/s/uuwrq0g7jfb9zn30g77mely3oaq6pn6x) with underwriter details must be submitted, along with the approved display units and video pre-roll.
- New creatives launch on business days only: Monday-Friday.
- Producer must provide creative to run in the allocated inventory that fits PBS Guidelines and [Technical specs](https://pbs.box.com/s/5sabsckdlpnkf3b951cm0l84dmmmaz7q).
- Technical specs for all placements can be found on the second tab of the [Traffic Sheet](https://pbs.app.box.com/s/19lt6hl7vg7i3fpnpu8dewdco7owb1qf/file/996232314669).
- A creative can be updated once per month, per campaign, for each program/series.
- Producers may submit up to five (5} different creative executions from a single sponsor that can be rotated during a single campaign.
- The creative and [traffic sheet](https://pbs.box.com/s/uuwrq0g7jfb9zn30g77mely3oaq6pn6x) should be sent to [Matt Grubb](mailto:mcgrubb@pbs.org) and [Matt Vogrin](mailto:mrvogrin@pbs.org).

## Category Exclusivity 

<span style="color: #172b4d">The producer and/or their sales representative decide category exclusivity for underwriters.  </span>

## Reporting 

PBS Sponsorship will set up automatic monthly campaign reporting through Google Ad Manager. Reports contain the following data points for both display and video: 

- Campaign/sponsor name
- Impressions delivered
- Clicks
- Click through rate
- Completion rate

## PBS Deliverables

- PBS centrally manages inventory.
- PBS schedules sponsorship campaigns in Google Ad Manager.
- PBS schedules logo and funder text delivery.
- PBS traffics creative on behalf of the producer and manages creative delivery for third-party ad serving.
- PBS provides delivery reports to producers on a monthly basis through Google Ad Manager.

## Display Implementation

<span style="color: #172b4d">For new sites, PBS works with producers on their underwriting strategy and provides the ad-server codes and instructions as needed. </span>

## Video Implementation

<span style="color: #172b4d">For new programs, PBS works with the producer on their underwriting strategy. Video sponsorship message capability is automatically built into </span><span style="color: #172b4d">[Media Manager](https://docs.pbs.org/x/IwFI)</span><span style="color: #172b4d">. Technical work by the producer is not required. </span>

## Creative Guidelines

- Digital creative follows the same policies as broadcast creative. See process for creative approval under [Creative Review and Submission](https://docs.pbs.org/display/PX/Policies+and+Requirements+for+General+Audience+Programs#PoliciesandRequirementsforGeneralAudiencePrograms-CreativeReviewandSubmission).
- Refer to the [Funding Standards document](https://www.pbs.org/about/producing-pbs/funding-standards.pdf) for creative guidelines.

## <span style="color: #000000">Survey Policy for Underwriting Messages</span>

- No third-party survey recruitment is permitted without prior approval.
- All surveys require specific language stating that the survey is for a PBS sponsor. The survey is not affiliated with PBS.

## Data/Privacy for Underwriting Messages  

- All cookies and tracking pixels must be disclosed to PBS prior to campaign launch.
- Any cookies set on our users during a campaign must expire within 90 days of campaign end.
- Flash cookies are prohibited.
- Third-party survey recruitment is prohibited without specific exception.

## Key Contacts

- Matt Vogrin – ([mrvogrin@](mailto:mrvogrin@pbs.org)[pbs.org](http://pbs.org/)) – Director, Digital Sponsorship - Policy and Strategy
- Matt Grubb – ([mcgrubb@](mailto:mcgrubb@pbs.org)[pbs.org](http://pbs.org/)) – Manager, Digital Sponsorship – Ad Operations