There is a direct correlation between programming and fundraising. The success of a public radio station is dependent on the relationship of its programming and editorial decisions with its audience. Programming creates an audience. If the audience finds that the programming resonates with their beliefs and lifestyle they will spend more time listening to that station. A relationship is developed that results in audience support.
To effectively produce local programming, the producers and reporters should be able to incorporate the Core Values of public radio programming and understand the implications of the Sense of Place research. According to Sense of Place research, “we found that public radio listeners who are drawn to news and information programming are the same from market to market. When they tune to public radio they are seeking depth, intelligence, authenticity, civility and a global perspective.”
For instance, public radio listeners want more from local news than the typical reading of headlines. They would rather have fewer stories, in relative depth, even within a cutaway newscast. At WNPR we always tried to put our stories in a wider perspective. Public radio listeners are working with their minds as they listen to local news and information. They are thinking about connections, other angles and a wider, even global perspective. An effective tool we often used was benchmarking. We looked at how the issues we covered were bring handled in other communities, especially if those communities were finding workable solutions.
Because our resources were limited, we used our editorial judgment to cover the stories that would have the biggest impact on our community. We wanted to make sure our resources were used to the greatest advantage for our audience and fur us. We often focused on educational issues, the environment, transportation, health and the issues brought about by the economy. We deliberately covered stories that would have the greatest impact on our community.
The Manager’s responsibilities do not end with the selection programming. The relationships developed between the station and its contributors need to be nurtured in order for the relationships to grow. From the members bigger relationships can grow. They can become major donors, contributors to the capital campaign or make donations to the endowment. These connections can be networked into underwriters and grants from foundations. The General Manager must become a fund-raiser to help forward these relationships. The General Manager is the face of the station and should be willing to meet with donors and underwriters with the station’s development director.
