Classical stations, fundraising and the economy

A recent article on MSNBC.com examined how public radio stations are faring with fundraising in these unstable economic times. The article prominently features two classical stations, WDAV in Davidson, N.C., and WWFM in Trenton, N.J. As I mentioned the other day, WDAV has just restarted its on-air fundraising drive after putting it on hold.

More than most broadcasting outlets, public radio appears to have formed a fierce emotional bond with its listeners. Lisa Gray, interim director of marketing and communications at WDAV, said the economy has had the effect of making that bond even tighter.

“There’s tremendous uncertainty. There’s a lot of anxiety out there,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of donors who called and told us how they needed the calming effect of classical music.”

The article reports that in some areas fundraising has stayed strong despite the economic downturn. And that’s the scenario stations should expect and work to create — or so I’ve heard many times from fundraising professionals. Don’t dwell on the negative — press ahead and emphasize the value of your service, they say.

The strong performance may in part be related to audience gains. Evidence suggests that interest in the election and the economy has powered strong growth in both listener donations and in public radio’s overall audience. A recent report on public radio’s Spring 2008 Arbitron ratings found record-setting levels for cume and average-quarter-hour listening — and this follows a stretch of distressingly flat growth for a system that had enjoyed many years of consecutive gains. Meanwhile, fundraising consultant John Sutton reports on his blog that news stations in particular have had successful fundraising seasons this fall.

This kind of time-sensitive interest in major world events has boosted public radio’s fortunes before, with 9/11 as another notable example. But are classical stations enjoying the growth as well? I have yet to see a breakdown. Perhaps dual-format stations can, since they offer the NPR newsmagazines.

But all-classical stations? Although they can continue to serve well listeners they already have, their argument for attracting new listeners is weaker. Sutton says an influx of new listeners have spurred much of the growth in public radio’s news audience. But when classical stations are offering the same product they’ve always offered — the music — that may not be a strong enough proposition to bring in many new listeners.

In the MSNBC.com article, WWFM’s general manager describes his station’s fundraising strategy:

In the meantime, many stations are thinking creatively. Fretwell’s station in New Jersey covers Princeton University. “We’re going to branch out like we’ve never done before,” he said. “We’re asking higher-end people in the Princeton area to host dinner parties for those who may not have been donors before,” he said. “We’re talking to the Institute of Advanced Studies to host a reception so we can tell our story.

“It’s forcing us to think outside the box.”

That’s smart thinking for any station these days. But perhaps classical stations in particular.

If you’re at an all-classical station, let us know how your station has fared with audience and fundraising by leaving a comment. And how can classical stations argue for being even more essential in difficult times? If you’re a listener, do you value services more these days?