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The dangers of driving while texting (DWT) are undeniable, yet people continue motoring along, heads down, fingers flying, as they clog up traffic or swerve in and out of lanes. In a nod to the classic blood-and-guts driver's ed films of the '50s and '60s, a police department in Wales has decided the best way to raise awareness of the deadly DWT epidemic is to disgust and scare the crap out of people. The new public service announcement, which spares no details, includes snapping necks, piercing screams, blood galore, an orphaned child, a dead infant, and multiple helicopters. The only...

Smokey Bear is celebrating his sixty-fifth birthday, but that doesn't mean he is throwing in his shovel just yet. Actually, thanks to computer enhancement the classic cartoon is more buff than ever-- and taller than most NBA players. And he's back for another round of small-screen fire prevention ads. But with this new Smokey comes a new slogan. He's asking Americans to "Get Their Smokey On." Not only is the bear trying to stop forest fires, but he's now asking folks to be responsible when it comes to camp fires, cigarette butts and matches. Even though Smokey may qualify for...

COPENHAGEN — Rheumatoid arthritis and two other rheumatic diseases are as strong as diabetes as risk factors for cardiovascular disease, prompting a European League Against Rheumatism task force to issue the group's first consensus recommendations for managing cardiovascular risk in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis. “In our view, rheumatoid arthritis [RA], ankylosing spondylitis [AS], and psoriatic arthritis [PsA] should be seen as new, independent cardiovascular risk factors,” Dr. Michael T. Nurmohamed said at the annual European Congress of Rheumatology. “Very importantly, the risk is comparable to type 2 diabetes,” added Dr. Nurmohamed, a rheumatologist at the...

Today, as the Administration holds a day-long summit on H1N1, we're excited to announce that HHS is launching a new PSA campaign contest to encourage more Americans to get involved in the nation's flu preparedness efforts by making a 15, 30 or 60 second video Public Service Announcement (PSA). The goal of the contest is to tap into the nation's creativity to help educate Americans about how to plan for and prevent the spread of the flu and the H1N1 virus.   The videos can be funny, cute, dramatic, but most of all, they should help make a positive impact....

When conservative talk-radio icon Rush Limbaugh decided to record a series of public service announcements for the Humane Society of the United States, many animal lovers on both sides of the political aisle applauded. After all, the topics Limbaugh spoke about in the PSAs, like opposing dogfighting, hardly seemed controversial. "Opposition to cruelty and the embrace of the human-animal bond are universal values," Humane Society president Wayne Pacelle wrote, adding that his group's aims were "in step with those of all good people" regardless of political affiliation. But a coalition of 28 hunters' rights groups are furious with Limbaugh for...

An enterprising conspiracy theorist on Monday posted a pair of U.S. government PSAs from 1976, urging citizens to quickly get a swine flu vaccine or risk becoming "very sick"-- although that pandemic never materialized. The two sensational videos attempt to show that anyone and everyone can get the bug and pass it to children, teachers, postal workers, veterinarians and acquaintances. ("Betty's mother gave it to her best friend Dottie, but Dottie had a heart condition and she died.") SNIP The agency, evidently, had a taste for scaremongering. As it turned out, its recommendation was unfounded. Not only did the 1976...

Stop smoking. Drink less. Learn new skills. Stop defrauding the benefit office. Claim tax credits. Wear a condom. Join the Army. Britons are being bombarded by more than 10,000 government advertisements every day, prompting accusations that Labour is creating the "ultimate nanny state". Messages from the state were relayed to the population via television, radio, cinema, newspapers, magazines and billboards on more than 3.7 million occasions during 2008, according to new research by media analysts at The Nielsen Company.

P. Diddy has appeared in a Public Service Announcement sponsored by a brand of vodka to encourage people in the US to drink sensibly. Instead of the typical PSA though, Diddy, whose real name is Sean Combs, wanted the message to be conveyed in a movie-type scene which he says is funny without being preachy. "Instead of doing a regular PSA saying, 'Hi, I'm Sean Combs and I'm here to talk to you for Ciroc,' I actually shot a scene from a movie, what happens when the music stops and two young ladies leave early because they're feeling a little...

Drug for deadly prostate cancer Aggressive prostate cancer has a poor prognosis Scientists are hailing a new drug to treat aggressive prostate cancer as potentially the most significant advance in the field for 70 years. Abiraterone could potentially treat up to 80% of patients with a deadly form of the disease resistant to currently available chemotherapy, they say. The drug works by blocking the hormones which fuel the cancer. The Institute of Cancer Research hopes a simple pill form will be available in two to three years. We believe we have made a major step forward in the treatment...

Where are Harry and Frodo when you really need them? Here is a magical-mystery movie with everything money can eagerly buy: big-name stars, boffo effects, a story pre-sold in a mass-cult fantasy novel. The only thing "The Golden Compass" lacks, alas, is magic. And its mystery is a little too mysterious. The picture looks great — director Chris Weitz and his town-size team of digital technicians have created a fantasy world of misty cities, gleaming dirigibles and intricate steampunk gadgetry that really pops. But in attempting to cram as much as possible of Philip Pullman's 400-page novel into a two-hour...

The PSA test, used to screen men for detecting prostate cancer has been declared all but useless by a pioneer in the procedure. Stanford University School of Medicine professor Dr. Thomas Stamey said "The PSA era is over in the United States." Dr. Stamey and colleagues examined more than 1,300 prostate tissue samples removed by urologists at Stanford over the past 20 years. Researchers divided the data from the samples into four five-year periods between 1983 and 2004. They found a substantial decrease in the connection between PSA levels and the amount of prostate cancer over time. In the first...

February 24, 2006: The recent controversy over the acquisition of the British firm Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, by Dubai Ports World, a state-run company in the United Arab Emirates, has been largely a matter of heat opposed to light. This is largely because of a number of myths that have quickly circulated throughout the blogosphere. These myths have led to a lot of controversy that has cast one of the strongest American allies in the Persian Gulf in a poor light that is undeserved. First, a look at the United Arab Emirates is in order. This is a...

How often do you hear a Public Service Announcement (PSA) on TV or radio? You hear warnings about the dangers of smoking, drinking, improper diet, lack of exercise as well as taking proactive measures of regularly scheduled screenings for early detection of diseases, etc. These are all fine and worthy endeavors.

ABC's Gen. Hospital to Air Gay Friendly PSA John Consoli JANUARY 12, 2006 - ABC, during its daytime soap opera General Hospital, will air a public service announcement featuring General Hospital actors Ben Hogestyn and Lindze Letherman, that urges viewers to take a stand against homophobia. The spot will also air on the cable network SoapNet, which, like ABC, is owned by the Walt Disney Co. The spot will urge viewers to "be an ally and a friend" to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. The spot has drawn praise from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), and...

Two widely used tests for prostate cancer failed to save lives in a new study, adding to the debate over whether men should be screened for the disease. The study was small — only 1,002 men — and will not be the final word on the issue. But it may hint at what lies ahead when the results of two large studies of prostate cancer screening appear in a few years. The researchers looked at two screening tests that are performed millions of times a year in the United States: a blood test that measures prostate specific antigen, or PSA,...

Anyone else notice this? Recently, I've heard some public service announcements (PSAs) on the radio for the "Humane Seal" campaign. This is not associated with the Humane Society (which is also becoming radicalized), but with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). PCRM, is, of course, an arm of PeTA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), which has in the past funded the terrorist group ALF (Animal Liberation Front). My question is: why is the Ad Council giving free air time to these creeps? Especially given the somewhat misleading nature of this particular "campaign." An aside: PCRM is not...

I saw this public service announcement on TV yesterday, and it's really been bothering me. You can watch it yourself by clicking on the link above. It starts out fine enough...Muslims condone violence, yada yada yada...but listen to what the last woman says...she says...ISLAM is about peace and JUSTICE. Sorry, that's troubling to me. And I think it should be troubling to everybody (as well we know). What exactly is their definition of Justice? Well, I think I know. So even when they think they're doing good, they still can't hide who they are. Please watch the commercial and tell...

When designing the new look for US Airways, America West executives turned their back on high-salaried Madison Avenue image consultants. Instead, they interviewed employees from both of the merged airlines: flight attendants, pilots, mechanics and executives. The result: a look that's neither too corporate nor too casual, according to Travis Christ, America West's vice president of marketing who oversaw the new US Airways design. Christ said the merged airline's style would best be described as "right down the middle between American and Southwest [airlines]." The newly redesigned planes, which make their debut today, aspire to a brighter appearance than US...

WASHINGTON, June 30 /U.S. Newswire/ -- McGruff the Crime Dog, the trench coat-wearing icon who has taught millions of Americans how to "Take a Bite Out of Crime," celebrates his 25th birthday -- or 175 in dog years. Created by adman Jack Keil in 1980, McGruff was modeled after famous gumshoes such as television's Colombo for the National Citizens' Crime Prevention Campaign to teach straightforward messages about safety and crime prevention. According to a Department of Justice study, three out of four Americans think they can do something to prevent crime, in part due to McGruff's messages over the past...

Characters from company's classic anime series "Robotech" to star along with PSAs from Sean Connery, Michael Douglas, Colin Farrell, Lenny Kravitz and other celebrities. LOS ANGELES ­ April 4, 2005 ­ In honor of the United Nations' 60th anniversary this year, the United Nations (UN) will debut a special Public Service Announcement (PSA) at MIP TV 2005. The 60-second spot, produced by Harmony Gold, is part of a broader effort to increase awareness of the work of the UN during this special period culminating with the 60th opening session of the UN General Assembly in the Fall. The unique element...

MARINE CORPS RECRUITING COMMAND, QUANTICO, Va. (Mar 28, 2005) -- The next time you’re at Wal-Mart shopping for a new television, don’t be surprised to see a few Marines in their combat utilities in the home theater department. No, it’s not a military exercise. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., the world’s largest retailer, recently approved the airing of two Marine Corps public service announcements (PSAs), “Family Photos” and “For Country.” Both spots vividly highlight the efforts of the Corps’ active duty and reserve Marines and its veterans who’ve made contributions to the Corps’ legacy. During the spring and summer, viewers will have...

A U.N. commercial depicts American girls playing in a soccer match. A girl steps on a landmine and there's a big explosion. Kids get blown apart. CNN and other networks don't want to air the ad. The explosion appears to kill and injure some girls, sparking panic and chaos among parents and other children. Shrieks of horror are heard through much of the spot, and a father is shown cradling his daughter's lifeless body, moments after celebrating a goal she had scored. It closes with a tag line reading: "If there were landmines here, would you stand for them anywhere?...

A new United Nations campaign designed to get the public involved in the global fight against landmines is apparently too explosive for American television, as it depicts children being blown apart on a soccer field. The 60-second public-service announcement titled "Kickoff" shows a match in progress before a buried mine on the playing field is detonated. (Editor's note: Click here to view the ad, some content is graphic.) The explosion appears to kill and injure some girls, sparking panic and chaos among parents and other children. Shrieks of horror are heard through much of the spot, and a father...

The U.N. PSA No One Will Air Marketer: United Nations Brand: U.N. Mine Action Service Title: "Kick Off" Agency: Brooklyn Brothers, New York Since December, Richard Kollodge of the United Nations Mine Action Service has been trying to get TV to run a PSA underscoring the dangers of land mines. CNN, Lifetime Television and ABC affiliates KGOT-TV and WJLA-TV have flatly refused, he said. Dozens of other broadcasters are ducking the issue. Each year nearly 20,000 people are killed or seriously injured by land mines in 80 countries. Mr. Kollodge's job is to do something about it.... (free registration required)...

As I was listening to the radio last week, I heard two separate Public Service Announcements dealing with girls, math, and science. Here are text transcripts of the PSAs and accompanying links: 1) “By the sixth grade, many girls lose interest in math and science so it’s up to parents to help create a brighter future for them. For some simple ideas, go to girlsgotech.org. A public service announcement brought to you by Girl Scouts of USA and AdCouncil.” PSA 1 2) “By sixth grade, too many girls lose interest in math and science and in just a few short...

VITAL SIGNS Obesity appears to skew the results of the most common test used to detect prostate cancer, a study released yesterday concluded. According to the study, which was released online and will be published in March in the journal Cancer, earlier research has shown that obese men have a lower survival rate for prostate cancer and that their cancer tends to be diagnosed in more advanced forms. The researchers, led by Dr. Ian Thompson of the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, wondered whether obesity might in some way throw off the results of testing for...

Big Apple broadcaster amps up ARRL radio spot for Limbaugh network fill (Jan 13, 2005) -- ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, says it's nice to have friends in high places. One of the friends of Amateur Radio public relations is Howard Price, KA2QPJ, of New York City's WABC-TV (Channel 7). Pitts says Price--acting president of the Broadcast Employees Amateur Radio Society (BEARS), the ham radio organization at ABC TV and Radio in New York City and an ARRL Special Service Club--heard the League's new radio public service announcement (PSA) and had an idea. "He passed it...

Legendary spokesfigure Smokey Bear celebrated his 60th birthday on Monday, Aug. 9, as Governor Tim Pawlenty proclaimed the day, “Smokey Bear Wildlife Prevention Day in Minnesota.” The Cambridge area Department of Natural Resources (DNR) held a party at its headquarters on Aug. 9 to celebrate the monumental occasion. Two-year-old Alexa Sutherland of Cambridge visited Smokey Bear and tossed a ball around with her furry friend. “The recognition by youth of Smokey Bear is tremendous,” said DNR Fire Management Section Manager Olin Phillips. Even though Smokey Bear has been around 60 years, his message is still relevant today, for the young...

Hello FREPers, It's frightening to see so many Dummycrates out there that are willing to turn a blind eye to the faults of their party leaders. I urge you all to continue to hear and respond to what is said, not what the Dummies are trying to make us believe. Call them on their lies and propaganda. The world is not a perfect place and even our actions, though well intended, may sometimes go astray, in the end, the motivation behind our actions are a true representation of who we really are.

FOUR nanograms of prostate specific antigen, or P.S.A., per milliliter. For more than a decade, that has been the line between normal and abnormal on a common annual blood test used to screen for prostate cancer. Above four and you need a biopsy of your prostate to look for cancer. Below four and you go home. But a new study, published last week in The New England Journal of Medicine, showed that no matter how low his P.S.A. level, a man could have prostate cancer. In addition, it has long been known that men whose prostates are enlarged, a normal...

Significant numbers of older men whose results on a popular screening test for prostate cancer are normal may nonetheless have cancer, a new study has found. The result, medical experts say, raises questions about what a normal test score should be and whether these men are better off let alone or treated when, through biopsies, cancer cells are discovered. It also amplifies a controversy over the test, known as the P.S.A., and whether finding prostate cancer early and treating it by removing or destroying the prostate is, on balance, helping or harming men. The P.S.A. test is a blood test...

<p>The Tennessee Department of Health pulled a radio public-service announcement yesterday after some people complained that it played to racial stereotypes about African-Americans.</p> <p>The PSA encouraged listeners to ''try baking your chicken, eating a fresh tossed salad on the side and scrumptious watermelon for dessert.''</p>

Anti-Smoking Ad Campaign Could Go off the Air Without Tobacco Money By Nancy Zuckerbrod Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - An edgy ad campaign aimed at getting kids to stop smoking could be forced off the air because tobacco companies are refusing to keep footing the bill. Former top federal health officials gathered Tuesday to urge the companies to keep paying for the "truth" ad campaign run by the Washington-based American Legacy Foundation. "I say to the tobacco executives, look if your words aren't just rhetoric, then fund the truth campaign," said Joseph Califano Jr., who served as former President...

Citing "Dangerous Increase" in Deaths, HHS Launches New Strategies Against Overweight Epidemic Study Shows Poor Diet, Inactivity Close To Becoming Leading Preventable Cause of Death With poor diet and physical inactivity poised to become the leading preventable cause of death in America, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today renewed efforts against obesity and overweight, announcing a new national education campaign and a new research strategy at HHS' National Institutes of Health (NIH). A new study released by HHS' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that deaths due to poor diet and physical inactivity rose by 33 percent over...

WASHINGTON, March 11 (UPI) -- A nationwide education campaign launched by the Health and Human Services Department focuses on a theme of small steps Americans can take to combat a rising tide of obesity in the United States. "We're just too darn fat, ladies and gentlemen -- and we're going to do something about it," said HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson at a news briefing Tuesday. The campaign's centerpiece is a trio of public-service television commercials created by the Ad Council, but the HHS department-wide program also includes exercise and diet initiatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in...

RALEIGH — A new legal-research group in Raleigh will wage lawsuits over constitutional issues involving the use of tax dollars for business incentives and to broadcast public-service ads using state officials, its chairman said yesterday. The N.C. Institute for Constitutional Law will challenge state policies on business recruitment and tax issues, said William Graham, the former Superior Court judge and state banking commissioner who will head the group's board.

Jill Doimer's mother died in 2002 from ovarian cancer, detected too late to be effectively treated. So Ms. Doimer is eagerly awaiting the introduction of a new test that holds the promise of detecting early-stage ovarian cancer far more accurately than any test available now, using only blood from a finger prick. Not only does she plan to be tested, but an advocacy group she helped found, Ovarian Awareness of Kentucky, also intends to spread the word to women and doctors. "If it's going to happen to me or anyone I know, I want it to be caught at an...

Former President George H.W. Bush Urges All Americans to Support Families of Columbia Shuttle Crew 1/28/04 10:42:00 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To: National and Assignment Desks Contact: Laurie Rossbach of the Columbia Shuttle Memorial Trust, 202-326-1797 or laurie.rossbach@edelman.com News Advisory: On Feb. 1, 2003, our nation and the world lost the seven brave and dedicated crew members of the Space Shuttle Columbia. But the Columbia seven - Rick, Willie, Dave, Mike, KC, Laurel, and Ilan -- are not the only heroes of STS-107. As we approach the first anniversary of this tragedy, their husbands and wives, sons and daughters, mothers and...

WASHINGTON (AdAge.com) -- A study commissioned by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has concluded that the advertising program of the White House anti-drug office has had little impact on its primary target: America's teenagers. Conducted jointly by the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and Westat, a 30-year-old research firm in Rockville, Md., the analysis concluded that "there is little evidence of direct favorable [advertising] campaign effects on youth." Officials of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) were not immediately available for comment today because of the Martin Luther...

The news media may be excited by the surprise victory of John Kerry in Iowa, animated by the Democratic contest and eager to highlight polls showing weak numbers for President Bush, but a comedy feature on Monday’s Late Show with David Letterman on CBS suggests the wider, less political culture doesn’t assume Bush is so weak or Democrats so popular. The show featured a mock public service announcement explaining how the Iowa caucus system works (“voters arrive at designated sites,” “groups are formed” by candidate preference and delegates are appointed to go to a convention to pick the nominee.) But...

The old failures of new and improved anti-drug education I’m at the February 2001 Teens at the Table conference, a feel-good event sponsored by a coalition of Los Angeles youth organizations and high schools. It’s designed to boost self-esteem and teach teenagers how to make smart decisions. In one of the sessions, a group of students is about to learn how easy it is to stay off drugs. It doesn’t require anything as lame as red ribbons or "Just Say No" chants. It just takes knowing what constitutes a healthy decision -- one that is all your own -- coupled...

10 ADS AMERICA WON'T SEE IN AMERICA ! Mr. Kipling's Virgin Birth and Other Not-for-the-USA Fare Anti-Drug Mutilation The Partnership for a Drug-Free America produces tame stuff compared to this nauseating Saatchi & Saatchi, Auckland, anti-drug spot for Care New Zealand. A young man out clubbing digs his fingers into his skull, peels back his own cranium, and extracts a chunk of what's still left of his exposed brain. He chops up the bloody grey matter with a credit card and snorts the bloody pulp.Among others are !Upside Down Journalism In a blurring of editorial and advertising content common in...

<p>Yes, teen drug use is down.</p> <p>Yes, teens are saying they were influenced by a national media campaign aimed at highlighting the dangers of marijuana.</p> <p>Use declined 11 percent over the past two years, according to the 2003 Monitoring the Future Survey recently released by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson and John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.</p>

“Where do terrorists get their money? If you buy drugs, some of it might come from you.” Or so claimed a year-long series of U.S. taxpayer-funded public service announcements (PSAs) alleging that recreational drug use sponsors international terrorism. Nevertheless, despite the Bush administration’s having spent tens of millions of dollars on the much-ballyhooed ad campaign, it’s painfully apparent that the American public isn’t buying their message. So apparent, in fact, that the White House quietly decided in April to pull the plug on the controversial campaign theme, effective this past summer. Their decision came less than six months after an...

NFL Supports Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund By K.L. VantranAmerican Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Nov. 6, 2003 – Vietnam veteran and four-time Super Bowl champion Rocky Bleier, running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, will narrate a National Football League public service announcement in support of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund during network telecasts beginning Nov. 9. The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund provides gifts to military families that have lost a loved one in defense of the United States. Its goal is to provide financial support to help spouses and children of military through difficulties they may face. The gift is...

Non-profit groups to pay for advertising in Washington DC Metro A non-profit organisation that advocates making gay people straight has been told to pay if it wants to advertise on Metro stations in Washington DC.Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays are among a group of non-profit groups that have been told they may no longer get free advertising space.The Metro's Operations Committee wants to eliminate free public service announcements by non-governmental agencies and force organisations requesting extra service to pay a deposit up front.The changes follow a financial dispute with the National Football League.Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays...

<p>CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) -- The state Health Division has pulled a public service radio announcement that suggests teenage girls will feel "dirty and cheap'' if they have sex with their boyfriends.</p> <p>Health Division spokeswoman Martha Framstad said the radio spot was suspended because the language wasn't appropriate for the 9- to 14-year-old girls the agency want to reach.</p>

Today I was listening to Rush, and heard an advertisement for the Big Brother/Big Sisters Organization. It consisted of kids telling different pranks they have pulled (wedgies, noogies, etc.). Then, an adult voiceover claims that "you don't have to be a saint to be Big." It made me to wondering if this is some sort of non-reply reply about the homosexual mentors the organization is trying to force on the kids.

The Federal Election Commission this month proposed rules that could exempt most charities from an advertising prohibition contained in the new campaign-finance law. The commission has asked charities and others (that means you FReepers) to submit their views on the proposals. The new law bars organizations from running ads that mention a candidate within the 60 days preceding an election. The ban applies even to ads about an issue or piece of legislation, a type of advocacy charities frequently use. In the proposed rules, the commission said the prohibition on advertising that mentions candidates applies only to paid advertisements, so...