PLEDGE TO NPR?

posted by James Reel

Just as our week-long membership drive gets underway at KUAT-FM, we get news that we may have future fundraising competition from NPR:

Times have gotten so tough that National Public Radio is considering something it hasn't done for a generation: a pledge drive. With NPR facing a projected $8 million budget deficit and looming cutbacks, some of its most prominent program hosts are urging management to consider a direct, on-air appeal to NPR's listeners—something that's prohibited by the organization's bylaws.

You can find the full Washington Post article here. I doubt that NPR will get very far with this idea, because local stations are sure to howl that they can’t afford to have precious income from their local listeners possibly diverted to the network, especially in this economy.