Pledge Drive Fall 2016

I have a small DI radio that I keep in the bathroom. You know DI = Deseret Industries the Mormon equivalent of Goodwill. That ubiquitous radio with red digital numbers informing you of the time which also has A cheap radio receiver. The radios usually cost a dollar And are stacked like cordwood in electronics section of the giant, corporate, secondhand store. But I digress, I turn on the radio and realize it's the first day of pledge week – – local soft strong-armed public radio station's effort to gouge more money out of its listening public. Not that it matters but I also have the same kind of radio in the kitchen, in my shop in the garage into stacked on each other in the closet ready for use when needed.

Like all quasi-elitists, who listen to public radio, I have a love-hate relationship with Pledge drive. I doubt really the radio stations really raise the money they say they do. I believe the money is basically corporate given and And they love the idea of community giving, grassroots level stuff, it makes public radio feel warm like a John Denver concert which is usually shown at some point during the fundraising season. I think the listening public radio audiencehas grown callous to the begging and fundraising antics of the poor radio staff who (I know are forced) take part in the pledge drive. I believe I have blogged in years past on a strategy the that I've used which is finding public radio stations in other markets were not in the pledge drive. That worked for a couple years until I started sensing that all public radio stations are on the same schedule.I think I can tolerate public radio fundraising better if they did not cut into programming. They usually kept in two the last 5 to 10 minutes any particular show that I am listing to. I noticed this particularly with Market Place that I was into every workday at 430 – – this is actually broadcast from New York City via WNYC which broadcasts shows two hours earlier than the local station airs the same shows. Invariably cutting into one of the best parts of the broadcast to fund raise the last 10 minutes of the show drives me crazy.

It's now officially autumn, the mornings are brilliantly beautiful, cool and crisp and totally inviting. A steaming hot cup of coffee doctored up just right, a computer with a fast enough connection and a public radio station kicking off their fall fund drive soda makes you feel right with the world like a segment from Prairie Home Companion.