Development
Public TV fundraisers weigh future of on-air pledge as shift to streaming accelerates
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After a difficult March drive, stations look for ways to head off a “glide path downward.”
Development
Membership fundraising held its own in first weeks of coronavirus lockdown
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CDP’s analysis of early 2020 fundraising shows sustainers are living up to their name.
Development
WBUR pares pledge drive to one day, surpasses $1 million goal
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WBUR cut its planned eight-day drive to 13 hours “when we saw what was unfolding” with the coronavirus pandemic.
Development
How to recalibrate and press ahead with public media fundraising
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As donors reassess giving priorities during these uncertain times, we must emphasize our time-tested values and service to local communities.
Development
Public radio stations weigh whether to fundraise during coronavirus pandemic
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Stations in markets that are hardest hit by the virus should postpone their drives, says Greater Public’s Melanie Coulson.
Development
Annual fundraising study finds significant gains for both radio, TV stations
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The Target Analytics State of the System report reflects growing listening to public radio news and underscores “startling” payoffs from PBS’ Passport service.
Development
Competing interests seen as likely dealbreaker for national fund drive
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Several public media fundraisers take on a question submitted for our Currently Curious series: Why don’t public broadcasters coordinate on a national pledge drive?
Currently Curious
Why hasn’t pubmedia held one big pledge drive?
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A public TV programmer sees an opportunity for public media to raise awareness about its uniquely noncommercial mission.
Development
WNET finds benefits in curtailing campaign-style pledge drives
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The New York public TV station charted growth in viewership and membership revenues after confining on-air fundraising to dedicated time slots.
Development
PBS will help stations convert social media followers to donors during March pledge
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Stations will work with Goodworld.me, a platform that streamlines the process of making donations via Facebook and Twitter.
Development
Small fire derails KALW pledge drive
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The fire affected the station’s lines for fundraising calls.
Development
Eight things to consider when pledging classical radio this fall
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The time could be right to emphasize a theme of “peace, calm and quiet.”
Quick Takes
Tips for public TV stations ‘pledging the core’
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One station saw an increase in ongoing gifts through its sustaining member program.
Development
WNET tests strategy to keep regular viewers watching, and donating, during pledge
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The New York station has abandoned traditional on-air campaigns for regularly scheduled pledging four times weekly.
Development
With help from friends, WYEP exceeds fundraising goal
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Through June, the station is using social media to encourage listeners to give by posting a video of themselves singing the Beatles rock classic, “With a Little Help from my Friends.”
Development
Stations try different approaches with food bank partnerships
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Food-bank partnerships have been successful for many public stations, but experts say they can have mixed results.
Development
WBUR’s new twist on shorter pledge drives pays off
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The drive raised over $1 million with only 26.2 hours of on-air fundraising.
Programs/Content
June public television pledge drives up 13.5 percent from last year
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Rick Steves’ Europe Travel Skills from American Public Television was among the shows generating cash for stations.
Development
PBS to track behavior of viewers pledging to core-schedule programs
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In an experiment signaling public TV’s resolve to address concerns about the long-term effects of transactional pledging on its donor base, PBS plans to test whether fundraising around regularly scheduled signature series can convert more viewers into loyal members and donors. Though traditional fundraising programs generate more cash for stations, many development professionals believe that pledging around core programs could yield better-quality donors who are committed to public TV’s mission. Stations such as Maryland Public Television and PBS SoCal in Orange County, Calif., have successfully pledged series from PBS’s National Program Service, as well as popular British dramas and comedies acquired from other distributors. Their results prompted PBS to take a deeper dive into the approach. “As we transition from a goal of gross dollars into a broader philosophy of the long-term value of donors, this seemed like a great time to look seriously at best practices with emphasis on sustaining donations,” said Joe Campbell, v.p. of fundraising programming.
Development
Orman’s ‘Financial Solutions’ boosts public TV’s March pledge drive
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Public television’s March pledge drive raised $46.7 million for 146 local stations, an increase of 19.3 percent from last year’s spring fundraiser.