BS: Public Radio Fall Fund Raising Time

Subject: BS: Public Radio Fall Fund Raising Time
From: Janie
Date: 16 Oct 10 - 12:56 PM

For those of us in the USA, 'tis the season for fall funding raising for our local and regional National Public Radio stations, the most objective source for news and information available in our country.

If you listen, hope you will make a financial contribution to your local station, no matter how small!

Subject: RE: BS: Public Radio Fall Fund Raising Time
From: katlaughing
Date: 16 Oct 10 - 01:01 PM

Ours just wrapped up. We are Evergreen Partners with Colorado Public radio, which just means we are set up to have a small amount withdrawn automatically from our bank account to theirs on a monthly basis.:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Public Radio Fall Fund Raising Time
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Oct 10 - 02:57 PM

The Dallas/Fort Worth area ended a bit over a week ago. Took three weeks this time to raise $700,000. They do three instead of four, based upon preferences expressed by listeners, so these long ones can be grueling. The quickest one I've ever heard was during the fall two years ago during the Obama/McCain election season.

I am a sustaining member, they take a fixed amount out of my bank account every month, and I don't have to renew it by calling in. I doubled what I donate (I was on the lowest tier before, so it still isn't huge) and one of these days I hope to double that. I watch so much PBS and listen to so much NPR that it makes sense.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Public Radio Fall Fund Raising Time
From: John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 16 Oct 10 - 03:25 PM

About six months ago I made a conscious decision to cease contributions to public radio stations. The main reason being that I think most have lost their way. In my area, excepting only one, all stations are licensed to colleges/universities. When they were set-up, they were generally used to train communications majors. Those students programmed the station, hosted programs, and learned the ins and outs of broadcasting, etc.

This is not the case any longer. Professionals host the programs; a jazz station is even operated by an outside commercial entity; one station moved its operations off campus altogether, but is proud of offering an internship to two (2) students per year. I think the stations have lost their way. The money I used to donate will now go to medical research organizations or other ameliorative things I'm interested in.

Subject: RE: BS: Public Radio Fall Fund Raising Time
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 16 Oct 10 - 07:32 PM

I donate to the local station, WDCB, which has local folk programming. I call when the show is on, so it's registered as support for the show. I don't support the Chicago area, bigger station, WBEZ because they killed all the folk programming in the mid-'90's and then all music programming period a couple years ago. When their plege folks have called me, I tell them exactly why I'm not going to send money. I like the other programming they do. However, the only way I can voice my disapproval is to not plege. I got a luke warm letter from the station manager when I wrote about their cancelling folk shows. I'm sorry but Prairie Home Companion and Thistle and Shamrock don't make it as continuing that kind of programming.

Subject: RE: BS: Public Radio Fall Fund Raising Time
From: Janie
Date: 17 Oct 10 - 07:49 AM

WUNC, my local station, is nearly all news and information. They broadcast the North Carolina Symphony concerts once a month. Other than that, all of the music programming they have is folk and blues programming. During the summer they also sponsor monthly free outdoor concerts featuring North Carolina folk and roots bands and performers.

I hear what you are saying John. WUNC is housed at UNC-Chapel Hill. I think they use a number of student interns but there are no student-hosted shows. Still, it is the news and information that I most value.

We have another public radio station, WNCU, on the campus of North Carolina Central University in Durham that is primarily a jazz station. They do continue to have student DJ's.

I also contribute to West Virginia public radio, which has a tiny budget compared to WUNC, That shows up in that nearly all of their daytime programming is classical music. Ain't nuttin' wrong with classical music, but your average West Virginian is not likely to tune in, which means they are also not likely to tune in to the news programming, which is much, much better than news offered on commercial stations. West Virginia public radio produces "Mountain Stage" and also has a nice folk and roots show called "Sidetracks" that is all "folk." On the website, the show's producers solicit recommendations and submissions of tracks and artists to consider for their programming.