KU News Release

Kansas Public Radio fall membership drive nets more than $230,000 in pledges

LAWRENCE — As a Mozart piano concerto hit the airwaves, Kansas Public Radio listeners played the final note of the station’s fall membership drive.

At 10 a.m. Oct. 24 pledges from KPR listener-members pushed the total donations past $230,000, the goal KPR set to conclude Fall Fanfare 2008.

The membership drive began Oct. 17 with more than $99,000 raised through a direct-mail campaign. Eight days later, more than $130,000 was raised through on-air appeals to new and renewing members.

“Given the economic news recently, hitting this membership goal says a lot about how much value KPR listeners place on our programming,” said KPR General Manager Janet Campbell.

The first day of the drive featured a “Power Breakfast,” when an entire day’s fundraising was compressed into just 90 minutes. That raised more than $28,000. In an effort to give listeners more programming and less fundraising, KPR has trimmed on-air fundraising from 99 hours in the fall of 2006 to only 76 hours this fall.

All funds raised during spring and fall membership drives directly support programming services.

After the numbers were tallied Friday morning, more than 1,900 listeners had pledged through direct mail, on-air appeals or at KPR’s Web site. That total does not include challenge grants, in which a company or individual will donate money if KPR can raise a certain level of funding during a show. More than $21,000 was raised through challenge grants.

More than 100 people volunteered to answer phones during the eight-day, on-air drive. Phones were staffed from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. Area restaurants donated meals and beverages for volunteers’ breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks.

KPR, licensed to the University of Kansas, broadcasts on KANU 91.5 FM in Lawrence, KANH 89.7 FM in Emporia, KANV 91.3 FM in Olsburg-Junction City and K210CR 89.9 FM in Atchison. KPR can be heard on the Internet at kpr.ku.edu. KPR also operates KPR-2, a news-talk channel on HD Radio. Those broadcasts can be heard on a high-definition receiver or on KPR’s Web site.

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