New budget cuts made it necessary for WUMR, The University ofMemphis radio station to hold a second fund-raising radiothon thisyear, only eight months after the first.
"Finding revenue to keep things alive is getting harder andharder," said Mark Bialek, program director.
Robert McDowell, general manager of the station, said while TheUniversity's budget cuts this year were not as strong as last year,the station is forced to look to the community more than everbefore.
There was no set goal or estimate of how well the firstradiothon would do, Bialek said, but station employees were verypleased to hit the $10,000 mark. The second radiothon, held May23-29, raised a total of $5,600 from 86 people.
McDowell attributes the lower total for this radiothon mostly tothe time of year. Sports programs the station was already committedto carrying took up a lot of time that they would have beenfund-raising on-air. Also, many organizations are fund-raising tosupplement funds now and more frequently than before.
"With this radiothon coming so soon after the first one, it ishard to get people to give again, but budget concerns were so greatthat we had to (hold it)," Bialek said.
U of M alumni Brad Stafford said he is a regular listener ofWUMR and was upset to hear the station was doing another radiothon,saying The U of M is stretched so thin trying to build and expandthat it can't cover the basics.
"It's a very good station, and I'm sorry to see it pimped by TheUniversity's management, who cannot manage money well enough totake care of what's important," Stafford said.
However, several individuals and organizations supported thestation.
"On the last day of the radiothon, Napoleon Casabry from theMid-South Jazz Foundation came one hour before the radiothon endedand made a pledge of $500 to put us over the $5,000 mark," saidBialek. "I think his gift encouraged others, and several othersjumped on."
Casabry said his organization focuses on promoting, preservingjazz heritage in the south and felt their donation to WUMR was fora very good cause.
Those making donations ranging from $10 to $500 received CDs,coffee mugs, bumper stickers and tickets to U of M music events asprizes.
The station does not have regular commercials or sales staff butmaintains the status quo in the budget by underwriting support andnow "from the jazz listener who understands the situation we'rein," Bialek said.
Throughout the week, the station interviewed U of M presidentShirley Raines, football coach Tommy West, Walter Crews of CrimeStoppers, and George Klein, Elvis' right hand man. Local TVpersonalities and U of M alumni Tim Van Horn and Jarvis Greer cameto share with listeners how their experiences with WUMR wereimportant to them and why donations to the station are needed.
"I think we serve a great purpose in the community becauseunlike most campus radio stations, we're at a powerful 25,000watts, reaching the whole city and providing a type of music noother station, even commercial, provides classic jazz," Bialeksaid.
The station fills a definite niche, McDowell said.
"Others call themselves jazz, but they don't play the classicstuff," he said.
The station also broadcasts U of M sports that wouldn'totherwise be on the air, such as Tiger Baseball and Lady TigerBasketball. Because of this diverse format, McDowell said thestation attracts an eclectic audience.
The radio station, staffed by U of M students, also ties wellinto the communications department's curriculum and serves as aneeded educational tool, McDowell said.
Both McDowell and Bialek said the radiothon was successful inmeeting immediate, but not long-term needs.
"What we raised will help keep us afloat. But as the cost ofequipment and operation goes up, the station's needs are by nomeans met," McDowell said.
Looking into the future, McDowell said he is concerned with thecost of conversion to digital audio broadcasting and thepossibility of making the station equipped with the Radio BroadcastData System, which could provide a digital readout of artist, songtitle, station slogan and even temperature.
RBDS has been big in Europe and is coming here soon, saidMcDowell, adding that he is uncertain if his station can convert ina timely manner because of the cost.
"We want to stay as state- of-the-art as possible because wewant to train students on what's really out there," McDowellsaid.
The next radiothon will be in the middle of fall, probablyOctober, McDowell said.
