Posted by chicagomedia.org on February 12, 2009 at 11:53:18:
Charity crunch
WFMT deals with challenge of raising cash in hard times
February 12, 2009
BY LEWIS LAZARE Sun-Times Columnist
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When we heard fine arts station WFMT-FM (98.7) had started one of its thrice-yearly membership drives Wednesday, a thought flashed through our mind: What an interesting moment in time to be asking the public to contribute money to a radio station. After all, since he was inaugurated last month, President Obama has insistently noted that Americans now find themselves mired in the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. We've got the message, Mr. President.
But how is that message impacting WFMT and its fund-raising? We went to the person who would know best -- WFMT General Manager and Executive Vice President Steve Robinson. In his crisp radio voice, Robinson immediately told us his take on the matter: "It's the worst I've ever seen it." And Robinson has seen a lot. In one way or another, he's been involved in radio pledge drives for more than 40 years.
Since Robinson arrived at WFMT in 2000, the station's membership drives were going along relatively swimmingly. Nine years ago, Robinson told us, the average amount pledged per contributor was $100. By June of 2008, as the stock market soared, that average had jumped way up to $159 per person. Then came the crash and all that has ensued.
By the time WFMT launched the first of three membership drives slated for its 2009 fiscal year last November, Robinson could tell the situation was rapidly turning for the worse. WFMT had set a goal of raising $600,000 during what was initially expected to be an eight-day pledge drive. But by the end of the alloted time, the station wasn't sufficiently close to its goal, so Robinson decided to extend the membership drive by a day and a half, the first such action WFMT had ever taken. Even with the membership drive extension, the station managed to take in only 93 percent of its announced goal, well below the 97 or 98 percent level reached in previous drives, Robinson said. What's more, the average amount pledged per person in November 2008 was down from the record $159 last June to just $143.
Of course, the economy has worsened considerably since November. So Robinson made some adjustments for the membership drive that has just begun. The pledge goal this month is $500,000, but the length of the drive has been extended to 11 days from eight days.
And the station is offering fewer pledge premiums in a more focused fashion, with special emphasis on high-end contributors. Donors at the $1,000 level have a choice of gifts ranging from an iPod Nano stuffed with 30 hours of classical music to a 17-compact disc set of classical music collated by Henry Fogel on his radio show "Collectors Corner."
Robinson is making no predictions about where the station will be with its membership drive initiatives by June 30, when the fiscal year ends. But these membership pledge drives are important. They account for about 25 percent of the station's annual operating budget of $6 million.
So far, unlike many other media outlets, the efficiently managed WFMT has avoided major layoffs. But Robinson suggested Wednesday that could change if the current and future membership drives fall substantially short of their goals.