An extremely mild rant: Synchronized NPR begging campaigns

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

To start, I need to say that I’ve been contributing to NPR for decades (just so you know that I’m a decent human being).

I live equidistant between the WHYY (Philly) and WNYC (NYC) stations. In the past, when their “beggin for dollars” pledge week happened I was able to just switch to the other station.

But now the worst possible scenario has occurred: the stations appear to be synchronizing their pledge drive times! I can no longer flee WHYY to WNYC to escape the begging, threats, and pleas for achieving matching dollars.

It was so perfect and now it’s ruined!

2

Podcasts can set you free.

3

Sounds like they’re taking a cue from PBS. The Public TV network syncs March, August and December for pledge drives. This way they control the length of programs (shorter so you can insert a pledge) and provide special programs to pledge around.

4

That’s good for New Yorker, Wait Wait, etc*, but I want to hear about the debates this morning and instead I’ve Ilya Maritz (sp?) pitching me with swag like tote bags and coffee. Sigh.

*anyone listen to the Prairie Home with Chris Thile? I wasn’t an active PHC person before so haven’t sought it out.

5

I only get one NPR station, it’s my to/from work staple plus Bill McGlaughlin to/from lunch, so not much sympathy for someone with two stations available. But they seem to have shortened the pledge minutes per episode this time, used to be the entire drive to work would be pledge drive (not a long drive), but this week I’ve been able to catch at least some Morning Edition before the pledge drive kicks in.

6

I used to do the same thing as the OP. My regular NPR station is KCUR in Kansas City, but during pledge week I could switch to KANU at the University of Kansas. But I can’t do that anymore, they’re in cahoots!

The funny thing is, I wind up switching to KANU anyway, because it seems like around pledge time my reception goes in the tank and I can barely pick up KCUR’s signal.

7

They need to give contributors some sort of secret frequency or special radio so they can receive NPR without the fund drive.

8

I would happily add to my pledge to obtain a secret frequency. I know podcasts can be at least a partial way to avoid the drives, but I mainly listen to BBC Hour and local news on my low-tech radio while I’m getting ready for work.

9

Wouldn’t it have been nice if America had had the wisdom of Canada. The Canadian government paid for the CBC, enough that they could hire the best talent, gave them a mandate to reach everybody, and just let them go. For three quarters of a century, CBC was recognized by the world as the gold standard in broadcasting excellence. Until the government budgeteers de-prioritized excellence.

10

I know, if only there was a way to monetize being popular with rich, pretentious, white people.

11

KPCC in Los Angeles started doing exactly that a couple of years ago. If you’re a sustaining member, they just send you a link for streaming a non-pledge-drive feed during fundraising times. It is a thing of beauty.

Sadly, I’ve moved, and WAMU hasn’t gotten there yet. Blessedly, the drive ends tomorrow.

12

Hmm, almost worth moving back to SoCal for a secret streaming link :smiley: I used to pick up KPCC in San Diego, IMHO they were better than SD’s station.