Initially, “broadcast promotion” was the term for media efforts conducted by television and radio stations to maximize the size of audiences and the numbers of advertisers. These efforts largely consisted of date/time program announcements on the station’s own air coupled with print advertisements in the local media (particularly TV Guide in the case of television promotion). More elaborate promotion campaigns were usually handled by the networks. Sweeping industry changes in the 1970s and 1980s—including the lessening of the dominance of the commercial networks, the growing importance of locally produced news, the rise of cable and pay-TV services, increases in program production costs, and the growth of syndicated programming—resulted in a significantly more complex media environment and led to the need for more-sophisticated promotion techniques. Consequently, in 1985 the organization changed its name to Broadcast Promotion and Marketing Executives to reflect the increasing importance of marketing principles such as the use of consumer research, competitive positioning, long-range planning, and audience segmentation. An ever-more-rapidly changing media scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s—including the growth of nonbroadcast program distribution channels and increasingly international webs of participation—led to a second major name change, to PROMAX International, in 1993.

PROMAX, a loose acronym for Promotion and Marketing Executives in the Electronic Media, employs a full-time paid president and staff and receives oversight from a volunteer board of directors composed of industry personnel. Focusing on the fields of television (including broadcast, cable, and satellite), radio, and digital media, the organization supports a wide range of related activities including promotion, marketing, advertising, public relations, design, sales, and community service. Among its services to members are the electronic magazine PROMAX Online, which reports on industry events and developments, key issues, notable campaigns, and new products, services, and techniques (available on the Web and via e-mail); an annual directory/promotion planner listing members and suppliers, as well as key industry dates and events; the Resource Center, located in the organization’s Los Angeles headquarters, which houses an extensive collection of videotapes, printed materials, and publications; and a Job Line, which provides information on available positions and job seekers (a key service in a field noted for advancement across, rather than within, markets). Perhaps the most notable service is the organization’s annual seminar, where members meet for workshops, demonstrations, presentations, and general networking. Suppliers of promotion materials demonstrate their products and services in an exhibit hall, and networks, group owners, and other industry organizations host suites for special presentations. The culmination of the seminar is an awards ceremony recognizing creative excellence.

In addition to ongoing member services, PROMAX awards several academic scholarships in cooperation with sponsoring industry groups. In 1980 the organization published a college text, Broadcast Advertising and Promotion: A Handbook for Students and Professionals. It has also conducted numerous surveys over the years on salaries, budgets, staff size, and other departmental measures, which help promotion executives gauge their status and performance according to industry standards.

PROMAX is organizationally linked with the Broadcast Designers’ Association (BDA), an association of graphic designers who specialize in creating promotion materials for electronic media. In addition, PROMAX has increasingly expanded its activities to include international affiliations, with branch associations in Australia/New Zealand, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the United Kingdom.