How are television and radio PSA airings tracked?

PSA airings can be documented through third-party monitoring, outlet reports, and other campaign tracking methods. PSN uses Nielsen for monitored television PSA airings and Media Monitors for monitored radio airings. Those sources provide station and daypart information for airings they capture. PSN also tabulates airings from outlets outside those monitoring systems as PSN Tracked Airings, with their source and estimation method identified. No single monitoring system captures every possible outlet or placement.

What happens before monitoring begins?

A campaign needs approved creative, accurate files, spot identifiers, and a defined flight. Television assets may be encoded to support monitoring, and the tracking team needs the correct versions and dates. Radio monitoring requires matching the distributed audio and available service coverage. PSN coordinates these steps with distribution and reporting so a client can relate airings to a particular campaign and spot.

What does a monitored airing show?

A monitoring record can identify the creative, outlet, market, adjacent program, date, time, and daypart when available. A report may aggregate those records into airings by market, station, week, or daypart. The monitored universe depends on the provider’s coverage and matching methods. A recorded airing is evidence of delivery at the outlet; it is not proof that every person in the estimated audience paid attention or acted.

How are airings from unmonitored stations handled?

Some station participation is documented through station responses, carriage confirmations, or other PSN tracking methods. PSN tabulates and labels these as PSN Tracked Airings in reports and the dashboard. The documentation and estimation approach should accompany the reported figure. Those airings should not be described as Nielsen or Media Monitor detections.

How are daypart charts prepared?

For stations that Nielsen or Media Monitors track, PSN uses the daypart information those sources provide. For PSN Tracked Airings without a verified airing time, PSN allocates them across aggregate daypart charts using the percentage distribution observed among monitored airings for the relevant medium and campaign. This is an estimate based on the best available observed distribution, not a verified daypart for each unmonitored play. Charts and downloadable detail should state that distinction clearly.

What do impressions and advertising value mean?

Impressions estimate opportunities to see or hear the message, using an audience methodology appropriate to the outlet and data available. They are not a count of unique people. Advertising value estimates the cost of comparable commercial inventory under a stated rate methodology; it is not revenue earned or cash saved automatically. PSN’s weekly and cumulative dashboard reporting can help clients review airings, markets, dayparts, estimated impressions, and estimated value, while keeping source categories clear.

⭐️ Related guides: Donated media · Measure campaign success

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