RSM Radio Creative & Production Guidelines

INTRODUCTION

This summary of Creative & Production Guidelines (“Guidelines”) is designed to help RSM Radio (“Rogers”) maintain consistency and high standards of quality in the execution of radio advertisement productions. The Guidelines apply to all client supplied creative material.

These Guidelines should be read in conjunction with the Rogers Standard Sales Terms and Conditions (“Terms”), which govern the relationships between Rogers and its Clients. In the event of an inconsistency between these Guidelines and the Terms, the Terms shall prevail.

In these Guidelines, references to “Advertiser” mean either the advertiser or the advertising agency representing the advertiser.

1. Production Standards

  • Material must be in mp3 format with Advertiser name and start date in subject line.
  • All advertisements must identify the actual Advertiser.
  • The overall impression of an advertisement must not be false or misleading to consumers.
  • No sirens, car horns, squealing brakes, car crashes, or other distressful sounds may be used in advertisements.
  • No mock news, mock weather report or mock traffic report may be used as a part of an advertisement, unless it is a blatant parody of such report.
  • Dead air may not be used as an attention-getting tactic in an advertisement.
  • Radio coupons (say “I heard it on Jack” and get a free hat) are not permitted.
  • No panic inducing tactics may be used to get the listener’s attention in an advertisement.
  • Rogers reserves the right to decline advertisements in accordance with Rogers Advertising Policy.
  • Advertisements will not include gratuitous violence in any form, sexually explicit material, coarse and/or offensive language, or abusive and/or discriminatory material.
  • The use of subliminal techniques (i.e. the use of sounds for a very brief duration without the listener being aware that the technique is being used) is prohibited.
  • Rogers reserves the right to reproduce technically deficient Advertiser supplied advertisements.
  • Advertisements must be exactly to time and word counts should be as follows:

            30-second commercials, approximately 75 words

            60-second commercials, approximately 150 words

            10-second commercials, approximately 25 words

2. Testimonials

  • Testimonials contained in advertisements must not pertain to the performance of products or services and must be limited to the fact that a user liked a product.

3. Third-party intellectual property rights (copyright/trademarks)

  • Non-licensed music may not be used in advertisement production. 
  • Use of third-party trademarks is prohibited.

4. Disclaimers for Political and Advocacy Advertisements

  • All political advertising (during an election period or at any other time) and advocacy advertising must clearly identify the advertiser of a message and will be aired with the following disclaimer at the start of the advertisement: “The following is a paid political/commercial message,” or “brought to you by X.”  

5. Defamation

  • Any advertisement that may lower a person’s reputation in the community where the person is identifiable is not permitted.

6. Regulated Products and Clearance Process

  • Clearances by a pre-clearance agency or review by Rogers Legal may be required when dealing with advertisements for the following types of products of services: alcohol, children’s advertising, cosmetics, food and non-alcoholic beverages, health products and gaming.
  • Regulated products and services in the categories noted above may NOT be submitted by Advertisers through any self-serve platform.

Contact – Steve Scarrow: steve.scarrow@rci.rogers.com