My grandfather became a major March of Dimes fundraiser in the Charleston, SC area, after MOD-funded research helped my uncle, then a boy, recover from polio. A letter of commendation from Eleanor Roosevelt is still in the family. Hope you'll excuse the bragging, and the expression of gratitude.

The AIDS PSA's likely come from the KCBS limited rerun of the CBSRMT in 1988 and 1989. San Francisco was way ahead of the national curve on that one (he says, remembering the Bleachman adverts on Muni busses telling IV drug users how to clean their needles in bleach water in order to prevent passing on disease).

The PSAs were often an indication of unsold commercial slots. However, the stations were required to run a certain number of public service announcements by the FCC. It was up to the individual stations which ads they ran. So the ads they picked do show some enlightened thinking. Ad agencies too, would produce these for free to garner favor with the station managers, but the subjects they chose were up to them. I think it is fascinating to hear how the subjects changed through the 70s and 80s.