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Issue date: 9/15/06 Section: News

Media Credit: Meredith Haskins Fifth Year Senior Charley McLean DJ's his KRTU program, "Afternoon Jazz." The radio station, specializing in jazz music, broadcasts from Trinity's campus and receives support from listener donations made during the now bi-annual fundraising drives.

KRTU 91.7, Trinity's jazz station that broadcasts from on- campus, is hosting a fall fund drive in addition to the annual spring fund drive.

The seven-day fall fund drive will take place from Sept. 25 through Oct. 1, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The spring fund drive, which usually occurs sometime in February, typically runs 24 hours a day for seven days.

KRTU hopes the fall fund drive will increase its precedence among commercial radio stations, as well help them meet their budget for the year.

The monetary goal for the fall fund drive is $30,000, whereas the goal for the spring drive is usually upwards of $100,000, according to Matt Fleeger, head of operations for KRTU.

"The main thing is trying to anticipate what kind of response we are going to get from our audience," said Yvette Nevarez, KRTU director of development. "Because the fall drive is so new, we really have no idea whether we are going to get pledges up to $10,000, $30,000 or $50,000. In the spring, we have some sense of what we are going to receive because of the renewing members who pledge every year."

The fall fund drive is focusing on new membership to help reach their $30,000 goal. New members include members who may have been listening to the station since it made the switch to jazz four years ago, but who have never made a pledge commitment before, according to Nevarez.

"We are definitely speaking to the listeners out there who have never made a commitment to thestation, and we are trying to really explain to them that we are here for them, and we care about what they care about," Nevarez said. "We are here to please them, and we are not bonded by commercial radio in the sense that it is not the almighty dollar that drives us, but the public service that we offer them, and they make it possible."

Members have the opportunity to pledge at any level between $25 and $1,000. KRTU will be offering different premiums for new members, such as a T-shirt or album for those who make higher pledges, according to Elizabeth Earnley, jazz manager.

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