New Approach for Spring Membership Campaign

(Louisville, KY—3/12/10) For the more than 150,000 Louisville Public Media (LPM) listeners who can’t live without their daily fix of local, national and international programming, this March offers a tantalizing opportunity for the Spring Membership Drive. For the first time, LPM pledges to end the familiar on-air campaign that keeps the community-owned transmitters humming as soon as the $500,000 goal is reached. LPM hopes to shorten the March 20-26 on-air drive and return listeners to the uninterrupted programming they expect on 89.3 WFPL (Louisville’s NPR News station), Classical 90.5 (Louisville’s Fine Arts station) and 91.9 WFPK (Louisville’s hub for alternative, independent music).This novel approach is inspired by listeners’ wishes and their response to earlier successes. Beginning in the spring of 2007, the traditional nine-day period of on-air fundraising was shortened to seven days, resulting in the gratitude of listeners happy to reclaim their programming. While some public radio stations are extending the length of their drives, LPM is committed to keeping drives as short as possible – and engaging and empowering listeners in the process.“The shorter drive resonates with listeners,” says Donovan Reynolds, president of Louisville Public Media, “but it’s the quality of programming that motivates them to give. Listeners who offer financial support understand the importance of meeting this $500,000 goal. They know the value of the programming in their daily lives and its significant value to our city’s quality of life. Our audience recognizes the remarkable return on their investment; the impact of their support on this essential community service, including special initiatives such as our environmental reporting (the Ohio River Radio Consortium), arts and humanities programming, and local news project. Contributing to an informed, enriched and participating citizenry is an investment in our city’s future.”Appropriately, local support makes up nearly 90% of LPM’s funding, with only 7% coming from the federally funded Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Membership Manager Jennifer Goodman reiterates that listener support “is crucial to raising the funds necessary to meet programming and operational costs. We hope that by placing the control of the outcome in the hands of our listeners, they’ll relish the opportunity to support the programming they rely on while also trumping the on-air portion of the drive. It would be the perfect way to thank our members! Ultimately, their participation is what determines the extraordinary level of this vital community service.”Louisville Public Media is a not-for-profit corporation and the only public radio organization in the country serving its community with three unique radio formats: 89.3 WFPL, Louisville’s NPR News Station, Classical 90.5, Louisville’s Fine Arts Station, and 91.9 WFPK Radio Louisville, an adult album alternative format station. Each station sustains an audience that shares a desire for rigorous, independent journalism, long-form coverage of local news and culture, insight into national and international issues, and a breadth of musical exploration. For more information visit www.louisvillepublicmedia.org. For more about each station, visit www.wfpl.org, www.wuol.org, www.wfpk.org.You can support this community service today at www.louisvillepublicmedia.org/membership or by calling (502) 814-6565.Contact LPM Membership Manager Jennifer Goodman at (502) 814-6512 or jgoodman@louisvillepublicmedia.org.