KCLU Fund-Raising Drive Ends Today

The phone has been ringing off the hook, which is a good thing for KCLU.

The public radio station celebrated its seventh anniversary Friday, and its continued success depends on its listeners, said Mary Olson, the station’s general manager.

The station, with studios at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, wraps up its two-week fund-raising drive at 6 p.m. today.

As of Friday, listeners had pledged $113,000. Olson estimated the amount would reach $125,000 by today’s deadline.

The pledge drive occurs every six months and has been steadily growing more successful as listeners regularly offer $10, $20 and sometimes as much as $500 to keep KCLU-FM (88.3) on the air, Olson said.

Olson helped start the station six years ago. It offers National Public Radio shows and local jazz and news programming and reaches 40,000 listeners.

Olson said she plans to run the operation this year on $404,000, just enough, she said, to keep the lights on, compact discs rotated and machines working.

“When we tell people we are good stewards of their money, we mean it,” she said.

Most of the station’s donations come from individuals, accounting for $198,000 last year. Businesses gave $105,000 and Cal Lutheran provided $95,000. Those donations just covered KCLU’s 1999 budget.

“People put their money where their ears are,” she said. “Believe me, if they don’t like what they hear, they don’t call.”

To make a pledge to KCLU, call the station’s hotline at 493-9200.