Radio Catskill’s community calendar is intended to provide listeners with useful, factual information about events and activities that serve the public interest and reflect the needs and interests of our listening area.
Calendar listings are community-service announcements, not advertising. All listings are subject to Radio Catskill’s editorial standards, mission and noncommercial broadcasting requirements.
Where to Submit Events
Community members and organizations may submit events for consideration via The Social Outpost (thesocialoutpost.com).
Once submitted, Radio Catskill representatives will select those events that meet the standards above for inclusion on the Community Calendar. Events that are submitted on The Social Outpost will still appear in the larger platform even if not selected for the Community Calendar, assuming they meet the guidelines of The Social Outpost.
Radio Catskill retains editorial discretion over which events appear on its own platforms.
What We List
Radio Catskill generally considers listings for events and activities that have broad community appeal or provide a public service, including:
- Performances, concerts and other cultural events
- Educational programs, lectures and workshops
- Environmental and conservation events
- Civic and community events
- Public meetings and forums
- Pet and animal-related events
- Weather and emergency preparedness events
- Recovery and wellness-related events
- Health and public-service events
- Nonprofit and community fundraising events
- Other activities that provide a meaningful service or benefit to the community
Posting Criteria
Community Benefit
Events should have clear appeal or value to Radio Catskill’s audience and/or provide a service or benefit to the community or listeners.
Preference may be given to events organized by nonprofit organizations, government agencies, educational institutions and community groups. However, an organization does not have to be a nonprofit or governmental entity for an event to be considered.
Geographic Relevance
Preference will be given to events within Radio Catskill’s listening area, including Sullivan, Delaware, Ulster, Orange, Schoharie and Greene counties in New York, and Wayne and Pike counties in Pennsylvania.
Events outside the listening area may be considered when they have significant relevance or appeal to our audience.
Informational, Not Promotional
Calendar listings must be factual and informational rather than promotional.
Listings may include pertinent details such as:
- Event name
- Date and time
- Location
- Admission or registration information
- A brief factual description
- Contact or website information when appropriate
Listings should not include advertising language, endorsements, testimonials, superlatives, promotional claims, sales pitches or calls to purchase goods or services.
For example, a listing may state that an event has a $20 admission fee, but should not encourage listeners to “buy your tickets now” or describe the event as “the area’s best” or “a must-see.”
Fundraisers for other organizations should be couched as an event rather than a fundraiser. I.e. “dinner with speakers,” not “annual gala.”
Commercial Activities
Events organized by for-profit businesses may be considered when they provide a clear public, educational, cultural or community benefit.
Radio Catskill will not list events primarily intended to promote a commercial enterprise, sell products or services, or provide advertising value to a business.
Fundraising activities primarily benefiting a commercial enterprise or a single individual will generally not be accepted.
Sponsors and Underwriters
Commercial sponsors, advertisers and underwriters should not be included in calendar listings solely for promotional purposes.
A listing should not identify a sponsor, business or other entity in a manner that promotes its products, services or reputation.
This policy applies to calendar content regardless of whether an organization has an underwriting or advertising relationship with Radio Catskill.
Political and Election-Related Activities
Radio Catskill does not use its community calendar to promote political candidates, political campaigns or partisan organizations.
However, nonpartisan civic, municipal/county, and election-related events that provide a public service may be considered, including voter-registration events, candidate forums, debates, public discussions and voter-education programs.
Listings involving candidates or elections must be factual, neutral and non-promotional. Political campaign events, fundraisers for candidates or partisan political organizations, and other activities primarily intended to promote a candidate or campaign will not be accepted.
Nothing in this calendar policy limits Radio Catskill’s ability to provide bona fide news coverage or other programming consistent with applicable FCC requirements and the station’s journalistic standards.
Discrimination and Community Standards
Radio Catskill will not accept listings for events that, in the station’s judgment, promote discrimination, harassment or exclusion based on race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age or other protected status.
Listings must also be consistent with Radio Catskill’s journalistic standards and commitment to serving the entire community.
Editorial Discretion
Radio Catskill reserves the right to edit, decline or remove a calendar listing when it does not meet these guidelines, contains insufficient or unverifiable information, is primarily promotional, conflicts with the station’s mission or standards, or otherwise is not appropriate for the community calendar.
Submission of an event does not guarantee publication.
Radio Catskill may limit the number or frequency of listings for recurring events or organizations in order to maintain a diverse and useful community calendar.
On-Air Announcements
Calendar listings may be adapted for on-air use. When a listing is read or otherwise incorporated into Radio Catskill programming, the announcement must comply with the station’s noncommercial broadcasting and underwriting policies.
Information that is appropriate for a web calendar may be edited or omitted from an on-air announcement if it could be promotional in nature.
Guiding Principle
When deciding whether an event belongs on the Radio Catskill calendar, ask:
Is this primarily useful information for our community, or does it function primarily as advertising or promotion?
If it provides a meaningful community service or public benefit and can be presented in a factual, non-promotional manner, it may be appropriate for the Radio Catskill calendar.