KUSC pledge drive sets record
Two months after its main rival switched dial positions, classical radio station KUSC-FM (91.5) has attracted the most donors in its history, reflecting a substantial jump in listeners.
In the most successful pledge drive in its 60-year history, the nonprofit station raised more than $1.1 million with 7,900 pledges, KUSC President Brenda Barnes announced Tuesday. New members accounted for 60% of the pledges, and most of those identified themselves as new listeners.
The former record pledge drive was $784,000 in February, 2003.
The fund-raising campaign, from April 26 to May 6, was the station’s first since Feb. 26, when the Southland’s only commercial classical station, KMZT (known as K-Mozart), moved from FM to 1260 on the AM dial, changing places with KKGO, a country station that is now on FM at 105.1. Both are owned by Mt. Wilson FM Broadcasters.
KMZT’s move to a frequency with a weaker signal and inferior sound quality left KUSC as the dominant classical music station in the area.
“We saw an increase immediately,” said KUSC General Manager Eric DeWeese. Arbitron ratings for the winter quarter showed a 15% increase in listeners, representing an additional 50,000 each week, DeWeese said. Since KMZT’s switch occurred about halfway through the ratings survey period, he said an even greater increase will likely be reflected in the next quarter’s ratings.
As a result of the switch, the Pacific Symphony, once heard on KMZT, now broadcasts on KUSC and is hosted by Rich Capparela, who also moved to the public radio station.
KUSC Development Director Janet McIntyre said the recent drive drew an unprecedented 4,782 new members, pledging an average $142 a year.
McIntyre said new members came from 34 states besides California, thanks to the station’s Internet transmissions. KUSC, based at USC, is the nation’s largest nonprofit classical music station.