KEDM Holding An Emergency Fund Drive

Is KEDM close to falling below minimum standards for CPB funding?  This was in the Monroe, Louisiana News-Star.

KEDM Public Radio has scheduled an emergency three-day fund drive next month to shore up a local funding requirement by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The region's only public radio station, which is housed and supported by the University of Louisiana at Monroe, has set a goal to raise $30,000 or risk having programming restrictions being placed on it. Joel Willer, ULM's director of University Broadcasting, said the station fell short of its fundraising goals during its annual fall and spring fundraising drives.

The emergency fundraiser is June 2-4.

"Basically what CPB is looking at is that they want us to raise 48 cents per potential listener in our service area, which translates to $152,000 a year," Willer said. "We have been really falling short for some time and it's finally catching up to us.

"We need to meet the minimum or start facing restrictions on programming. As it stands, we are about $45,000 short."

The station's funding sources include the university, listener memberships and underwriting from businesses and CPB. However, CPB requires that the station raise 48 cents for each of the estimated 305,105 potential listeners in its coverage area.

"In this case, even if the university was able to write a huge check for the amount, it would not take care of the requirement," Willer said. "The $30,000 will get us a good way to where we need to be."

Willer said the station is working with its Community Advisory Board trying to find local business donors to meet the overall $45,000 funding need. The radio station is sending out additional mailings to its membership and listeners who have never been members in addition to sending out mailings to lapsed members asking them to rejoin.

"It's a matter of getting the message out," Willer said.

Community Advisory Board member Lyle Miller said the radio station's main challenge is to develop new supporters to expand its base. For several years, the station has focused on selling sponsorships, particularly to corporate partners. KEDM's annual budget is around $300,000.

"So many times we lean on our corporate sponsors, but we can't depend on the same core people time and time again," Miller said. "It will certainly be difficult (to raise the needed funding) because this is not the best of times to do that.

"Our supporters and the university have been very magnanimous, but we really need to broaden our base of support. To be successful, we need to show the importance of public broadcasting to the younger generation. Sooner or later, listeners need to come to the table."