Public broadcasters use pledge drives to ask for donations from viewers and listeners to keep the station running. These drives interrupt programming and offer prizes in exchange for pledges. Some stations request funds throughout the year instead of having a week-long drive, and some promise to shorten the drive for every day of donated funds.
A fundraiser is a fundraising technique used by public broadcasters in both radio and television media. During an engagement trip, a station’s programming will be routinely interrupted by calls for assistance from viewers and listeners. The life span of a pledge unit varies, though most last about a week. Many listeners and viewers find the engagement drives extremely irritating, thanks to the constant program interruptions.
The need for engagement initiatives stems from the fact that most public broadcasters and businesses need assistance to keep them running. While many governments and organizations offer grants and other assistance to public broadcasters, these grants typically are less than the operating costs of public broadcasters, so broadcasters turn to the public for help. This is seen as an alternative to running commercials, which would disrupt programming year-round and potentially turn the station into a for-profit private company. Incidentally, there is a difference between commercials, which advertise products, and subscription commercials, short ads from station sponsors that may not legally include advertisements for specific products.
During a pledge drive, programs are routinely interrupted by station staff, asking the public to phone or use the station’s website to make a pledge. Traditionally, people promised to pay a small amount of money each month, making a “pledge” that they had an interest in the survival of the station. In modern pawnshop ventures, people can also donate just a lump sum. Throughout the initiative, staff also provide regular updates on how much has been donated and how many new members have been added to the station. Many stations also read messages from callers.
In exchange for their pledges, people enter drawings for various prizes, which can range from radios to mugs. Most of these awards are small and simple, designed to keep people connected to the station. People who donate particularly large sums during a pledge drive may be able to collect a prize such as a jacket emblazoned with the station’s name; often the prizes are donated by community businesses that support the station.
Many public broadcasters leverage the programming of companies such as National Public Radio to enrich their offerings, and many of these syndicated media outlets support local outreach initiatives by including fundraisers in their programming for one week each year. Local stations can include these appeals in their commitment units or drop them and replace them with local programming if desired.
People who find effort drives annoying needn’t despair: Public broadcasters have recognized that viewership and listenership numbers tend to drop during effort drives, and many have attempted to address this. For example, some stations request funds during station outages throughout the year, rather than shutting down programming for a week. Others promise that for every day of donated funds throughout the year, they’ll cut one day off their pledge units.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
