Sponsor Resources & FAQs

Thank you for supporting Vermont Public as a business sponsor. Below you'll find guidelines for creating your sponsorship messages and answers to frequently asked billing questions. As always, we're more than happy to assist you personally if you need more guidance.

As a public broadcast medium, Vermont Public must follow the FCC requirements for identifying sponsors in underwriting announcements. Non-compliance with these requirements may result in serious fines for the organization.

Based on FCC guidelines, sponsorship messages may include:

• Up to three services or products you offer.
• Your corporate mission or well-established slogan, exclusive of promotional language.
• Information about an event or non-profit organization you are supporting.
• Your physical and web address. Web addresses are counted by individual words. Dot-com, dot-org, dot-edu count as one word. Phone numbers are strongly discouraged.

The message may not include:

• Value statements and subjective language (comfortable, convenient, elegant, helpful, reliable, safe).
• Reference to price or value, or any inducement to purchase (affordable, free, low-cost, special offer).
• Superlatives and qualitative language (largest, oldest, award-winning).
• Calls to action (stop by, visit, call, sign up).
• First-person pronouns (you, we, our).
• Unnecessary repetition of the business name.
• Language that is intended to sway public opinion. 

Vermont Public provides the following additional guidelines to assure the quality of the listening experience:

• Your underwriting message informs our listeners of who you are, what you do and where to find you.
• Vermont Public underwriting announcements start by clearly identifying the underwriter. They may contain up to 20 words to maintain a 10-second announcement length.
• An underwriter may provide multiple messages to air during their schedule, within reasonable expectations. Ideally, each message is aired a minimum of 10 times and no more than three messages are airing concurrently.

Livestream underwriting messages recognize the sponsor by name, followed by a description of the business/organization.

• These messages are up to 15 seconds (30 words+/-).
• Because messages are heard leading into broadcast content, we follow the FCC guidelines for broadcast messages with the following exceptions:
  
  • Qualitative language that can be verified, such as oldest, award-winning, largest.
  • Mildly subjective language and calls to action are allowed with approval.

Podcast underwriting messages recognize the sponsor by name and include a description of the business/organization.

• These messages are up to 15 or 20 seconds, depending on the podcast. 
• The language does not need to follow FCC guidelines but should have a tone that recognizes the expectations of the public media audience.
  
  • We allow first person pronouns and speaking directly to the listener.
  • The name of the business can be repeated.
  • Subjective language void of hyperbole is allowed with approval.
  • Calls to action are allowed, as are promo codes.

We offer digital display ads at vermontpublic.org, on our mobile app and site, and in email newsletters.

• Use hi-res components (logos, images, etc.) and avoid excessive text and/or competing imagery.
• Vermont Public reserves the right to decline creative that are not clear and legible. 
• Your banner image will link directly to your website, no need to include contact info/web address unless visually helpful.
• Banners must be exact sizes specified to appear clearly across all our platforms.
• Always use images that are resized down, never resized up.
• Acceptable file formats are .png, .jpg and .gif (looping images should allow at least 3 seconds between image rotations).
  
  • Web tile on vermontpublic.org: 600x500px
  • Mobile banner on vermontpublic.org: 640x100px
  • E-newsletter tile: 600x500px
    

Here the answers to some frequently asked questions about billing for underwriting. If you don’t find what you need, please email billing (at) vermontpublic (dot) org, or reach out to your Vermont Public Account Manager.

What is the difference between an invoice and a statement?
An invoice shows you what we provided you in underwriting or sponsorship and how much is due for that billing month. You pay us based on your invoice. A statement is your billing and payment history, and your current balance due, including any past unpaid invoices. 

Why did I get a statement, but no invoice?
Your statement is a record of any past payments and unpaid invoices. We do not re-send invoices. 

I prepaid, why am I getting this invoice?
Your invoice is showing you what Vermont Public provided you and the total cost. If you prepaid your contract, you will see on your statement that the invoice is credited against that payment. 

I need a copy of a past invoice. What do I do?
Please contact your Vermont Public Account Manager or email billing (at) vermontpublic (dot) org directly for a reprinted invoice. 

I’d like to pay my invoice by credit card. What do I do?
Visit our online payment portal to pay your invoice(s) securely by credit card.

Our invoices need to go to someone else at my business. What do I do?
Contact your Vermont Public Account Manager or email billing (at) vermontpublic (dot) org to update your billing contact.

Our invoices are also supposed to be emailed to our billing department, why am I the only one receiving them? 
Your email will not indicate anyone else in your organization who also is receiving the email. It sends separate emails rather than copying recipients.

Why am I getting so many emails? Can't you send everything all together?
Our accounting software only allows us to send one invoice at a time, so if you have multiple contracts (broadcast, livestream, digital, podcast, sponsorship), you will get multiple invoices for that month. If you renew a contract mid-month, you will receive separate invoices for each of those contracts. We appreciate your understanding and we are working to improve this experience in the future.