WETS will begin an on-air fall fundraiser Oct. 13 in an effort to raise $200,000 to cover the station’s programming costs. This goal is the largest in the public radio station’s 30-year history.
“On Oct. 1, the cost of our news magazines, Morning Edition and All Things Considered, will go up by 12 percent,” said Wayne Winkler, station manager of WETS. “The overall cost of programming on WETS will increase by 8 percent.”
Morning Edition and All Things Considered are the two most listened to radio shows in America behind Rush Limbaugh.
“Let’s face it, quality radio is not cheap, and the costs continue to go up,” Winkler said.
Since WETS is a non-commercial radio station, the cost of programming cannot be passed on to advertisers, so the listeners must support the programming.
Small contributions have traditionally been the backbone of WETS fundraisers.
“I would rather get 10 $100 pledges than one $1,000 pledge because it means that more people are listening,” Winkler said.
“Public radio is a cooperative effort. If you have a program that you like, show your support.”
The on-air aspect of the fundraiser is just one part of the process. “Fundraising never ends,” Winkler said, adding that direct mailings and online contributions are a good way to limit the amount of airtime devoted to raising money.
This year, an added emphasis will be put on online contributions. “Oct. 12 will be ‘Cyber Day,'” he said. “Our goal is to raise a large portion of the $200,000 online.”
Although fundraising can be stressful, Winkler says that he enjoys it. “You get to communicate with the people who listen to the programming,” he said. “It’s like hearing from the home office.

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