Radio stations are granted a license to serve a specific locale. By the guidelines, they should offering programs that serve in their publics interest. If my radio station is in a rural area, my programming would be different than an urban station - even if I knew I was reaching a huge online audience. I don't think that there are any stations programming specifically to reach an online audience - except for specific online streams that are done in addition to regular broadcasts.

You are correct in your point that online donations are a small percentage of a fund drive. Online listeners do not realize that by listening for "free", they are in the same catagory that "freeload" terrestrial radio. It is one thing to sample a program on occasion, but if you are a regular listener - either online or over terrestrial radio - you should be making a pledge to THAT station or THAT program.

People forget to realize that commercial radio stations offer commercials and whether they would like to admit it or not, they are effected by those ads. You pay that radio station whenever you purchase a product.   For the non-commercial radio stations, they need to find another source - underwriters for the programming or a direct pitch to the listener.


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