1-Day Pledge Drives Rock

Every public radio station should be doing this. Spend one day, all day, having a pledge drive. It's less expensive for the station, it's easier on the staff, way easier to prepare, and listeners love it. What's not to like? Every station that I know of who has tried it it's worked. With the exception of the stations that say if we don't make the goal we'll be back tomorrow. Because that defeats the 1-day pledge drive purpose. You've got one day folks, so start pledgin'. We made our goal of 2500 pledges. That's a lot of 'em. So, if your public radio station isn't doing it... why the heck not? We think it will work anywhere. Suggest it to your station when you pledge and tell them that it is working (2 successful 1-day drives with more to come) for North West Public Radio.

You Listen to Us, We Hear You. Or,
Pledge Early and Pledge Often.

My friend Doug, who lives in Portland, is a loyal NPR/OBR (Oregon Public Radio) listener. It's pledge time there too, and he called me to say that he wished he lived back in Ellensburg, WA right now so that he could participate in our one day pledge drive. He went on to say how the pledging just goes on, and on. I told him to call them and let them know when you make your pledge and maybe they'll change.

Well, we heard you, our loyal North West Public Radio listeners. The last one day fund drive was the best drive we've ever had. So we will do it again, and we want to continue to do the one day pledge drives (please, oh please) and it is because of you, your loyalty to YOUR public radio station, and your desire to hear quality (commercial free), non-biased radio, and your donations to North West Public Radio that keeps the station going... literally.

Pledge DAY, there's only one, is coming up this Thursday, October 23 starting at 5:30 AM and if you like what you are hearing and not hearing, when it comes to long pledge drives, please do your part and pledge early and pledge often.

Radio; It's All About the Images

One of the many reasons that I choose radio as a career is what I learned from a college professor, and that is how radio is the most visual medium. One of the examples that he used was this: "Let's say that you tell people (while you are on the radio) that you couldn't believe your eyes when you went into your home office, because your cat had left you a lovely little present on your chair." He went on to explain that some listeners will imagine a nice little box present with a bow and wrapping paper, while others imagine a great big pile of cat poo.

Radio uses these images to transport you too. It's programs like A Prairie Home Companion and This American Life that take you to a place in your imagination every week. Just like the present the cat left us, we can all imagine a different place or thing, but it is really the exact same place or thing, and that makes it even more real to each of us. It's the connection we freely associate to radio with mental images that makes it so appealing and the most visual medium.

That's why I love radio.