Posted October 24, 2001

IOWA CITY -- The University of Iowa's public radio stations WSUI-AM and KSUI-FM raised more than $200,000 during their first-ever on-air fund drive Oct. 13-19.

About 2,300 people made pledges during the seven-day drive, said John Monick, director of Broadcasting Services at the UI. There was no specific monetary goal set for the first year of the drive, but Monick said he was very pleased with the outcome.

"I thank our listeners for their contributions and pledges. We were overwhelmed by not only their financial support, but also with their words of encouragement. Many listeners thanked us for continuing our quality programming. It's a service they value -- a service that is unique to the University of Iowa," he said.

Several area businesses and individuals also made challenge pledges, encouraging listeners to match their donation during a specified time during the drive.

The drive was in response to an increasing need for university departments to generate more private donations and become more self-supporting. Contributions from listeners provide support for national programs like "Morning Edition," "A Prairie Home Companion" and "Fresh Air," as well as locally-produced classical music and news programs such as "Iowa Talks."

Monick added that listeners also liked the positive, upbeat tone of the on-air drive. "We weren't sure about the reaction to our first attempt at this, but they actually enjoyed listening to it," Monick said.

Monick also thanked a fund-raising team of WSUI/KSUI staff and 175 volunteers for their efforts. "They put in some long hours and did a tremendous job at something they had never done before," he said.

The WSUI/KSUI drive was a part coordinated campaign among public radio stations across the state and the U.S. to support public radio.

Pledges can still be submitted on-line at http://ksui.uiowa.edu or http://wsui.uiowa.edu; checks can also be sent to the Friends of WSUI/KSUI, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, IA, 52244.

Contact Information

Tom DePrenger
Director of Development, Special University Initiatives
(319) 335-3305 or (800) 648-6973

UI Broadcast Services
319-335-5730

Additional information about supporting WSUI and KSUI also is available on this site.