Saga Communication’s Cayuga Radio Group serving Ithaca NY has announced it will debut what it calls SAFE Tones in advertisements starting May 18.

The two second tones will be heard in advertisements for businesses that are practicing proper safety practices within including requiring all staff and customers to wear mask protection over the face and nose while shopping, implementing guidelines for cleaning each day, throughout the day, and with each individual transaction, use 6-foot social distancing. no eating in store (unless a business specifically established for such purpose), limited access to touching items and not admitting anyone showing signs of sickness or compromised health.

The Cayuga Radio Group has introduced SAFE tones into select radio advertisements starting May 18th.

S.A.F.E. stands for Sanitized/Area/Face-protecting/Environment. SAFE tones is a short two second audio tone inserted inside individual advertiser’s radio ads. “Think of it like the Intel chime tones,” said Chet Osadchey, President and General Manager of the Cayuga Radio Group. “SAFE tones gives our appropriate local advertisers the ability to say, ‘we are a business that is actively implementing compliant Covid healthcare practices for our customers’. While at the same time it is giving our listeners extra assurances to shop these businesses.”

SAFE tones are included at no added cost to advertisers, however each business that uses the SAFE tones agrees and must actively implement proper Covid related safety protocols including:

• Requiring all staff and customers to wear mask protection over the face and nose while shopping.
• Implement guidelines for cleaning each day, throughout the day, and with each individual transaction.
• Use 6-foot social distancing.
• No eating in store (unless a business specifically established for such purpose).
• Limited access to touching items.
• Not admit anyone showing signs of sickness or compromised health.

Consumers learn about SAFE tones through an ongoing series of radio messages on the ten (10) Cayuga Radio Group radio stations, plus written notices on their websites, and direct explanations from their on-air personalities. “I have been speaking about Covid practices and guidelines along with giving updates to my audience for two straight months. I am confident that myself, and all our other great radio personalities can seamlessly weave the purpose and importance of SAFE tones into our daily conversations with our respective audiences,” said WIII-FM (I-100)’s Program Director Kat Walters. “When you hear hundreds of ads branding the tones, listeners implicitly understand their meaning.”

“As audio branding continues to become both more common and important in a mobile society, simple and effective tools like SAFE tones will be equally important to connecting advertisers and audiences” said Operations Manager Chris Allinger.

For more information on SAFE tones, please contact Chet Osadchey. [email protected].