KPCW welcomed dozens of guests to its studio on Swede Alley from March 4-7, during one of two pledge drives the public radio station will host this year. With support from business sponsors and individual donors, KPCW raised more than $309,000, a new record for the station’s winter drive.
Donations to the station fund KPCW’s daily local news operations, original public affairs shows, music, and public services like traffic, weather, and the Lost and Found report. They also support national programming like Marketplace, NPR headline news and Morning Edition. Donor support also enables the station to operate without a paywall on KPCW.org and provide free delivery of the station’s daily email newsletter, “The Local.”
KPCW has created a unique model for its pledge drives to include a variety of voices from nonprofits and businesses operating in Summit and Wasatch counties. Beyond sharing how the station amplifies their work, nonprofit leaders stressed how collaboration among organizations is key to their success.
Cheryl Fox, executive director of Summit Land Conservancy, explains, "We like to think, or we were all taught that nature was all about survival of the fittest. And in fact, we realize that really those organisms that are successful are the ones that are symbiotic. So, it's really survival of the symbiotic that nature teaches us."
Fox says when nonprofits work together, the community benefits. "When the Summit Land Conservancy can partner with KPCW or Recycle Utah - or frequently we partner with Mountain Trails [Foundation] because trails and land go hand in hand," she said. "When we come on the radio and we're able to talk about the work that we're doing and people can hear and, you know, I get calls all the time and people say, ‘Oh, I heard about you on KPCW.'"
In total, 20 nonprofits participated in this year’s winter pledge drive, and will earn free underwriting (the public radio term for advertising) valued at up to $4,000 each, or 100 free spots on KPCW over the next six months.
KPCW also dedicated an hour of the drive to longtime office manager Ethel Preston, who will retire at the end of March after 16 years at the station.
“I hate to leave but I feel like I just need to go forth,” said Preston, who plans to travel and spend time with family during her retirement.
"Ethel was actually hoping to retire a little bit earlier," said KPCW General Manager Renai Bodley. "And I kept saying, 'Ethel, can you maybe hang on another couple of weeks? How about another month? Ethel, can you just keep staying on?' And Ethel finally said, 'Look Renai, it’s time.'"
Bodley, along with the rest of the station, will be sad to see Preston, also known as KPCW’s “director of first impressions,” go.
"Local View" host Randy Barton read messages from listeners who called in to share their favorite memories about Preston.
"Nonprofits throughout this town need great people on their staff and you can be the poster child for that," said Barton. "We’ll put your poster up. Be like Ethel," to which she replied, "Thank you, thank you KPCW for 16 wonderful years."
KPCW’s next pledge drive is in August. Interested participants can email sarah@kpcw.org now to learn more about partnership opportunities.
