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Public
Broadcasting
90.7 KWMU
Here's a
surprising statistic: At KWMU and other public broadcasting stations
across the country, only one in 10 listeners actually becomes
a contributing member. "Most people figure public radio or TV
is funded by other sources so it's free," says Patricia Bennett,
director and general manager at KWMU, a service of the University
of MissouriSt. Louis. "That's why the focus of our board
has been to increase awareness in the community about how valuable
this product is and why it should be supported. Besides," she
adds, "one out of 10 may be the national average, but I always
tell people St. Louis is above average."
The
numbers bear her out: In the past decade, financial support from
the Friends of KWMU--the 11,000-plus listeners who contribute
to the station--has tripled; the number of people who tune in
weekly has risen 35 percent, to nearly 123,000; annual corporate
support has quadrupled, to about $479,500; and for the first time,
in 1999, the station raised more than $1 million, with fewer on-air
fundraising days (down from 34 to just 20).
Still,
KWMU, home of "Car Talk," "Fresh Air," "The Diane Rehm Show,"
"Morning Edition," "A Prairie Home Companion," "Talk Of The Nation,"
"All Things Considered," "St. Louis On The Air," "Cityscape" and
other favorites, depends on membership support from individuals
for 48 percent of its $2.1 million operating budget. The University
of MissouriSt. Louis provides 10 percent, and the rest must
come from corporations, businesses, foundations, grants, special
events and other sources. Complicating the issue in 2000 are $48,000
in dues increases from National Public Radio and Public Radio
International, which supply much of KWMU's quality news and entertainment
programming.
But
the small yet mighty board of directors of the Friends of KWMU
is up to the challenge. Board president Stephen A. Glickman, who's
vice president/marketing at CPI Corp. and a board member since
1993, says the by-laws call for up to 24 board members, "but we
find having 13 is quite manageable." Board members can serve two
three-year terms, then must rotate off for at least one year.
New board members are identified through recommendations from
other members and people close to the station. "They must be advocates
of the station," Bennett says. "They have to love it and pitch
for it."
Unlike
most boards, the Friends of KWMU board does not dictate policy.
"Instead, we serve in an advisory capacity, like a steering committee,"
Glickman explains. "Our primary responsibility is to help the
station be self-sustaining, by focusing on fundraising and community
awareness."
Regarding
fundraising, the board is at work on several new projects. The
most ambitious is the Major Gifts Initiative. Bennett explains,
public broadcasting has typically lagged behind other nonprofit
organizations
in developing major gifts programs. "Many were getting most of
their funding from sponsoring institutions and didn't need to
be involved with membership underwriting," she says. However,
as Congress discussed reducing or eliminating funds for public
broadcasting, it became imperative for stations to become more
self-sufficient.
In response,
at KWMU, the Major Gifts Initiative was launched to incorporate
a larger part of the community at a higher level of giving than
the membership level, Glickman says. Those who give $1,000 or
more become members of the KWMU Cornerstone Society, which was
formed in 1998 and raised more than $47,000 in 1999, a two-thirds
increase.
Another
initiative, the Donald H. Driemeier Endowment for KWMU, will raise
$1 million to provide long-term funding for the station. The endowment
is named for the Deputy to the Chancellor at UMSt. Louis,
Don Driemeier. "He was very instrumental in helping
get KWMU on the air in 1972 as an educational outreach for the
St. Louis metro area," Bennett explains. The station is licensed
to the curators of the University of Missouri, which also sponsors
public radio stations at UM-Rolla, UM-Columbia and UM-Kansas City.
Many
listeners can recall the original KWMU format: mostly classical
music and some news. Over the years the mix shifted toward more
news, and in July 1996 the format became all news and talk. "Listeners
told us in focus groups they predominantly wanted information,
not music," Bennett says. "Our operation is more businesslike
and efficient now as a result of providing listeners what they
want."
However,
Bennett adds, there still is a place in the market for a non-commercial
classical station. She and the UM-St. Louis administration have
been searching for two years for an available frequency. "We have
an extensive classical music CD collection, all cataloged and
programmed and ready to go," she says.
Besides
fundraising, the board also works hard to increase awareness about
KWMU within the community. Along with the "KWMU Crew," the station's
500 volunteers, the board helps organize live broadcasts of National
Public Radio shows, plus beer and wine tastings and the KWMU CD/Cassette
Record Sale to bring the public in contact with the station. Special
events offer listeners a chance to mingle with NPR and other radio
celebrities. "People in St. Louis love to come out and meet the
on-air talent," Bennett says. "When meteorologist Ben Abell shows
up, he's surrounded!"
The
board also supports a variety of outreach and community service
activities. In 1999, for example, KWMU sponsored an American Red
Cross Blood Drive and a Project KidCare Photo ID booth at the
St. Louis Art Fair. The station also was a sponsor of the St.
Louis International Film Festival and the UM-St. Louis Storytelling
Festival.
"It's
the same situation with every cultural institution in St. Louis,"
Bennett says. "Like the zoo or symphony or art museum, the station
serves a very big purpose. All you have to do to realize it is
listen."
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