Advertising guidelines
Safe and sound: Audacy’s promise to advertisers
At Audacy, we take our stewardship of our audio universe for discovery and connection very seriously. We always have.
We are unapologetically audio, creating real human connections that play an essential role in the daily lives of the communities we serve, because we believe that love and trust cannot be generated by an algorithm. We open the airwaves, curate voices, and deliver premium content meant to create a place for everyone to belong.
Our commitment to quality content, which connects these diverse audiences, large and small, includes the assurance of a safe space for listeners and business partners alike.
More hearts and minds equals more value for brands.
→ General advertising standards
→ Prohibited advertising categories
Brand safe content
Broadcast
- Since our inception, Audacy has always been a regulated broadcaster, with platforms governed by the FCC. As such, our broadcast and streaming platforms have always adhered to the highest possible standard of quality and remain that way to this day.
Podcast
- 99% of Audacy podcasts are Brand Safe (Remaining 1% are related to the True Crime Genre, which has a passionate listener base)
- Confidently invest in our vast and growing line-up of content by a diverse group of creators targeted across 28MM premium unique podcast listeners per month.
- Audacy has partnered with Sounder, an audio intelligence platform that uses dynamic AI/ML technology to precisely process, categorize, and rate millions of hours of audio content to minimize risk based on IAB and GARM safety standards.
General advertising standards:
Audacy reserves the right to, at its discretion:
- Accept or reject at any time advertising for any product or service;
- Require elimination or revision of any material in advertising copy which (a) Violates our standards, policies or guidelines, (b) violates federal, state or local laws or regulations, or (c) is otherwise contrary to the public interest.
- Reject any advertising in which Audacy believes the advertised product, program, or service could negatively affect its audience.
- Reject any digital ads which we feel may violate the DAA’s Online Behavioral Advertising Guidelines for Self-Regulation, or any digital ads which Audacy believes may be collecting Personally Identifiable Information; and
- Reject any advertising that contains, or triggers on a viewer’s electronic device, any interactive feature, data, or functionality without Audacy’s express prior approval.
Under no circumstances may advertising material include the emergency alert system (“EAS”) or Wireless Emergency Alert (“WEA”) tones or anything that sounds similar to the EAS or WEA tones, including in news footage or in any other format.
Prohibited advertising categories
(note: this list is not exhaustive and is subject to change):
– Competitive products, and services
- Advertisers, products, and services competitive with the radio broadcast industry, including, without limitation, businesses, products or services that deliver audio by any of the following means:
- Radio companies or competing stations
- Satellite Radio
- Digital Audio Services (streaming or podcast)
– Gambling
- Unlicensed/illegal sports betting or other gaming activities (e.g. casinos, lotteries or fantasy sports)
– Marijuana
- Advertisers that manufacture, import, possess, use, or distribute marijuana and/or marijuana extracts (i.e., cannabis CBD Oil) (e.g., dispensaries, grow houses, farms, etc.)
- Products or Services that in any way facilitate the possession, use, or distribution of marijuana and/or marijuana extracts
- Events at which marijuana and/or marijuana extracts are available for sale, sampling, distribution or otherwise
– Hemp based CBD oil products
- Product advertised must (i) be developed from industrial hemp as grown in accordance with state and federal law; (ii) contain less than 0.3% THC; and (iii) legally possessed, sold, distributed, and produced under federal law and under state law in the states in which the advertising is to be broadcast.
- Cannot advertise consumable products
- Cannot make any health claims
- The ads may not include any unsubstantiated health claims and/or imply that CBD Oil is an FDA approved drug under federal law.
– Tobacco
- Cigarettes
- Little cigars/cigarillos
- Smokeless tobacco
- Chewing tobacco
– Distilled spirits
- Distilled spirits on stations and/or websites with audience greater than 20% under legal age to drink
– Condoms & sexually-oriented products
- Audacy may, on a case-by-case basis and subject to scheduling restrictions, accept advertising for condoms, erectile dysfunction treatments, birth control devices or methods, or remedies for sexually transmitted diseases, provided it is presented in good taste.
- FDA approved Erectile Dysfunction products may be approved on a case-by-case basis. Current restrictions include:
- No Talent integrations
- Sponsorship elements will be permitted on a case-by-case basis
- Not permitted in any programming Audacy believes to have significant audience concentrations of or appeals primarily to persons under age 17
- Any condom and non-FDA approved male enhancement advertisements that are accepted will be restricted to certain hours or dayparts and restricted from certain programming (e.g. midnight to 6a).
– Dating services
- Audacy may, on a case-by-case basis and subject to scheduling restrictions, accept advertising for dating websites, provided:
- The advertising is presented in good taste and is consistent with Audacy’s brand standards;
- The content of the website and service provided is generally acceptable;
- The platform does not exclude any persons or groups and does not include any discriminatory messaging;
- The content clearly communicates that all participants must be of legal age; and
- Such advertising is not permitted in sponsorship elements.
- Current Restrictions: Not permitted in any selected partner programming or Youth programming.
– Controversial issues
- Audacy will consider on a case-by-case basis advertising that presents a position on a controversial public issue. At all times Audacy reserves the right to accept or reject such advertising, including, without limitation, the following:
- Advertising that presents a position on a controversial public issue may be unacceptable if:
(1) Its content, or other content referenced in or associated with the ad, or otherwise disseminated by the advertiser, is deemed offensive;
(2) It is an attack of a personal nature, an attack on an individual business, or a comment on a private dispute;
(3) It contains violent or otherwise graphic or potentially offensive content that is deemed to be inappropriate for our audience or incompatible with any of our other advertising standards;
(4) Its content or style of production is otherwise deemed inconsistent with any corporate policy or general standards, as determined by Audacy in its sole discretion.
- Advertising that presents a position on a controversial public issue may be unacceptable if:
- An acceptance may be subject to scheduling or placement restrictions.
- As part of the clearance process for such advertising, substantiation may be required to support any factual claims made.
- Where applicable, advertising may be governed by provisions of federal and state law.
- Such advertising must disclose the name of the actual individual or organization that is paying for the ad. This disclosure must be in the form of a “paid for by…” or “sponsored by…” tag.
