ATLANTA (AP) – Georgia’s highway department is spending thousands of dollars in taxpayer money for rush-hour radio ads that brag about the department but provide little practical information to the public.
The state Department of Transportation bought $12,480 in radio advertising so it could broadcast brief, on-air messages written by the state agency. Those ads will be aired by Georgia Public Broadcasting through June. The value of burnishing the state agency’s public reputation is unclear. It’s not a retailer like Wal-Mart or Target Corp. selling products to the public. It faces no tangible competition since it’s effectively a monopoly.
“It’s just trying to get our message out; that’s the biggest thing,” said DOT Communications Director Karlene Barron, who signed the advertising contract. “Trying to talk about the services we offer, and trying to make sure the public is aware of the services we’re offering.”
So far, the ads contain little practical information about those services.
“The Georgia DOT . working to deliver quality transportation projects while minimizing unavoidable impacts to people, cultural resources, and the natural environment,” the September message says.