693JJ919R000047_RFI_for_Broadcast_Distribution.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Title: Distribute Safety Information and Content to Television Stations, Cable Broadcast Networks, and Digital and Streaming News Outlets Nationwide

Reference Number: 693JJ919R000047

Issue Date: April 16, 2019

April 16, 2019 Page 2

Table of Contents

1. Disclaimer

2. Purpose

3. Background

4. Requested Information

5. Responses

6. NHTSA Discussion

7. Questions

8. Summary

April 16, 2019 Page 3

1. Disclaimer This is a Request for Information for information and planning purposes only. This Request for Information (RFI) does not create any representations; either expressed or implied that:

• Commits the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to issue a solicitation or make an award;

• Should be considered as a Request for Proposal or that a solicitation document exists for the requirements listed herein;

• Commits the Government to contract for any service whatsoever; and/or

• Indicates NHTSA is seeking proposals or is accepting unsolicited proposals.

NHTSA advises those responding to this RFI that NHTSA or the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party’s expenses.

Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future NHTSA-issued solicitation or Request for Proposal. If NHTSA elects to issue a solicitation, NHTSA will synopsize requirements on the Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website. Potential offerors are solely responsible to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this requirement.

FAR Clause 52.215-3 -- Request for Information or Solicitation for Planning Purposes (Oct 1997) is hereby incorporated by reference with the same force and effect as if it was provided in full text. Interested responder may electronically access the full text of this clause at:

https://www.acquisition.gov/far.

2. Purpose The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is seeking information on how an interested contractor could provide all necessary personnel, materials, supplies, and services necessary to distribute broadcast quality safety information and content to television stations, cable broadcast networks, digital, and streaming news outlets nationwide. NHTSA must produce broadcast quality traffic safety content suitable for local, regional, or national news television/cable/online platforms. This content may include behavioral safety topics involving bicycles, motorcycles, pedestrians, school buses, child heatstroke, and older drivers. Additional segments may include topics such as distracted driving, impaired driving (alcohol and drugs) and occupant protections issues such as child passenger safety. Moreover, NHTSA must produce vehicular safety material on vehicle recalls, autonomous vehicles, and crash testing. In its initial market research, NHTSA pilot-tested three examples (child passenger safety, teen driving, vehicle safety recalls). NHTSA posted a sample feature at https://youtu.be/Q2UB6Ti7J60.

Each month NHTSA must self-produce broadcast quality safety information features with bites and b-roll (BBR) between two to five minutes in length that may be self-contained or include live reads for local news anchors. NHTSA anticipates local stations will have some flexibility to produce features to meet local needs based upon the NHTSA-provided information. In addition, NHTSA may produce segments keyed off topical news events, as appropriate, for syndication.

In addition to the distribution aspects of the project, NHTSA is seeking information regarding metrics of broadcast distribution. Examples of the types of metrics NHTSA is seeking include household rating, cost per point, media value, total value, a list of markets/stations that ran the https://www.acquisition.gov/far

April 16, 2019 Page 4

NHTSA-provided information and other data that may be useful to NHTSA. NHTSA is seeking the information for each individual story and a total for all stories that ran.

These are NHTSA’s initial steps to identify requirements for a project of this nature. As such, with this Request for Information (RFI), NHTSA is seeking other components of a project it should consider if the agency determines to proceed with this project. NHTSA is looking for information to draft a sound requirements document. During market research, NHTSA found that errors and omission insurance is needed for such a project. NHTSA’s initial market research was limited to online research, limited conversations with industry, and a small-scale pilot-test.

3. Background The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is one of 10 modal administrations within the United States Department of Transportation. NHTSA’s primary mission is to save lives, prevent injuries, reduce traffic-related deaths, and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes. NHTSA accomplishes this by:

• Setting and enforcing national safety performance standards for motor vehicles and equipment;

• Researching and demonstrating promising strategies to influence positive traffic safety behaviors;

• Providing grants to state and local governments to enable them to conduct effective local highway safety programs; and

• Planning and executing strategic communication campaigns to support program activity.

NHTSA’S behavioral communications, advertising, and marketing strategies use an integrated approach to meet its objectives. This integrated approach includes reviewing traffic safety data to identify messaging and relevant target audiences, market research, advertising, media relations, materials development, partnership, and evaluations.

While highly visible enforcement communications activities continue to be the most important aspect of NHTSA national communications program, other integrated communications activity must continue throughout the year to keep messages updated and in front of the American public.

Consistent and continual reminders of the high human and economic costs of motor vehicle crashes must be created, and effective communication must be maintained so that the public is aware of potential lifesaving behaviors.

Here is a sample of NHTSA behavior safety programs efforts:

• Decrease impaired driving, including drug impaired driving;

• Increase seat belt use and promote child passenger safety;

• Eliminate distracted driving;

• Promote pedestrian, bicycle, pupil transportation (including school bus safety), older driver safety; and

• Prevent deaths of young children being left in hot cars (heatstroke campaign) Regarding vehicle safety programs, NHTSA provides leadership, direction, and consultation services on studies and projects requiring analytical and planning. The agency develops short-term and long-range motor vehicle safety program actions identifies significant safety problems that need to be addressed, and characterizes the priority actions that will make the most

April 16, 2019 Page 5 significant impact on safety outcomes. NHTSA analyzes crash data to identify emerging safety issues and to check the effectiveness of NHTSA’s efforts to address known safety issues, and for the development of new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards or amendments to existing standards.

NHTSA's most popular and successful vehicle safety consumer information program is the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) designed to improve occupant safety by developing and implementing meaningful and timely comparative safety information that encourages manufacturers to design vehicles to better protect occupants in a crash and be less susceptible to rollover, rather than by using regulatory directives. NHTSA provides crash test safety ratings to consumers on NHTSA.gov to educate and assist consumers on vehicle purchases.

NHTSA has the authority to require manufacturers to recall vehicles with safety-related defects under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966. In many cases, the public at large is not aware that it can report motor vehicle safety defects to NHTSA that helps to identify a trend in a particular vehicle that may cause a safety hazard. If NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect, the agency may require the manufacturer to issue a recall.

The public does not fully understand the important role in regards to prompting the investigation of a potential vehicle safety issue or more importantly heeding warning to repair recalled vehicles.

NHTSA is tasked with educating consumers about the various levels of automated vehicles and the technologies associated with such vehicles. In 2017, DOT issued Automated Driving Systems 2.0: A Vision for Safety, which is an industry guideline for autonomous vehicles. The public has a low awareness regarding these automated vehicle topics thus NHTSA has to be prepared to inform consumers about the current state of technology and how this technology relates to automated vehicles present in vehicles now, how these technologies work within the driving public, and what technology is to come.

NHTSA actively and regularly releases press releases and media advisories to announce and highlight information of importance or interest. However, there is other information just as important that may not require a press release. NHTSA is seeking to disseminate more information directly to community members on issues that are timely, meaningful, and applicable to local issues. NHTSA believes that developing and syndicating features that local and network television stations can use to supplement local broadcasts is promising and provides avenues to share important traffic safety information.

NHTSA has the ability to produce video, BBR packages, video with voiceover, video with live copy, and live copy. The assets that NHTSA provides will allow a local station to produce its own comprehensive stories on specific traffic safety issues.

4. Requested Information The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is requesting this information as part of its acquisition strategy to determine the feasibility of using a syndication service in terms of development, implementation, and costs to distribute NHTSA produced traffic safety information.

As stated earlier, in Section 1. Disclaimer, nothing in this Request for Information (RFI) commits NHTSA to issue a solicitation or make an award; neither will NHTSA nor the Government pay for any cost or expense related to submitting a response to this RFI; and not

April 16, 2019 Page 6 responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future solicitation or Request for Proposal, if any is issued.

5. Responses The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is seeking a whitepaper, preferably electronically, in Microsoft Word format (compatible with version 2016). The following information shall be included in Section 1 of the whitepaper:

• Company Name,

• Address,

• Primary Point of Contact,

• Phone Number, and

• Email address.

The following information shall be included in Section 2 of the whitepaper. A discussion of:

• All necessary personnel, materials, supplies, and services necessary to distribute or syndicate

NHTSA-produced broadcast quality safety information and content to television stations, cable broadcast networks, digital, and streaming news outlets nationwide.;

• Labor categories typically associated with a project of this type;

• The types of stories local news stations are interested in broadcasting, how the local television stations want the information presented, the type of supporting documentation needed to enhance delivery;

• Information regarding metrics and analysis of broadcast distribution – for example household rating, cost per point, media value, total value, a list of markets/stations that ran the NHTSA-provided information and other data that may be useful to NHTSA. NHTSA is seeking the information for each individual story and a total for all stories that run;

• Costs and price for such activities. NHTSA is not seeking cost or price information at this time but is seeking a general discussion on anticipated costs and expenses;

• Other components, i.e., errors and omissions coverage or voice-over products verses bites and b-roll with live copy, of a project NHTSA should consider if the agency determines to proceed with this project;

• Adding audio safety features (radio news) to the project; and

• Other information not identified herein that NHTSA should consider for a project of this nature.

NHTSA will accept capability statements from those responding as an appendix but not in lieu of the whitepaper.

The Request for Information (RFI) whitepaper is due no later than 12:00 p.m. EST on May 16, 2019. Please send the RFI whitepaper to Ms. Sherese Gray, Contracting Officer at sherese.gray@dot.gov.

mailto:sherese.gray@dot.gov

April 16, 2019 Page 7

Proprietary information, if any, should be kept to a minimum and must be clearly marked as such. Be advised that all submissions become NHTSA and/or Government property and will not be returned. If anyone responding to this RFI does not currently have a Proprietary Data Protection Agreement (PDPA) that would permit NHTSA or Government personnel to review and evaluate the submitted whitepaper in response to this RFI, the responder should request to sign a PDPA with NHTSA.

6. NHTSA Discussion National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) representatives may or may not choose to meet with those who may potentially submit a response to this Request for Information. Such meetings and discussions, either individual or with a group, would only be intended to get further clarification of potential requirements, capability, and industry standards (if applicable).

7. Questions Questions regarding this Request for Information shall be submitted in writing by email to Ms.

Sherese Gray, Contracting Officer at sherese.gray@dot.gov. NHTSA will not accept verbal questions. NHTSA will post responses to questions to Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOpps) website. Accordingly, questions shall not contain proprietary information.

NHTSA does not guarantee it will answer any questions received after 12:00 p.m. EST on April 30, 2019.

8. Summary The information National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provided in this Request for Information (RFI) is subject to change and is not binding to NHTSA or the United States Government. Neither NHTSA nor the Government has made a commitment to procure any of the RFI requirements discussed. Release of this RFI should not be construed as a commitment or authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought.

All submissions become NHTSA and/or Government property and will not be returned.

(End of Request for Information) mailto:sherese.gray@dot.gov