A Little Background Info...
Since our revitalization in 1998, UMFM has been providing a diverse range of music and talk programming to Winnipeg. As with any organization, we have changed and evolved over the years but at its core, UMFM has maintained a mandate to provide our listeners a forum for music and voices that may otherwise go unheard.
Since 1998, the station has been able to operate successfully without having to seek outside sources of income. The operating budget made mostly of student fees and a small amount of advertising revenue has always been enough to ensure that UMFM could continue on year in and year out.
While the cost of running the radio station has steadily continued to rise, our funding from the University hasn’t increased since '98, and like many other media outlets, we've seen our advertising steadily revenue decline over the last 5 years . We are now in a situation where when need to find alternative revenue streams to be able to maintain our daily operations costs.
Enter Pledge-O-Rama – UMFM’s first ever funding drive! We are super excited to be staging this event, and we’re hopeful that it will bring us all a little closer to this great community that we all know and love so much. Our first ever Pledge-O-Rama will run from October 19th at 6:30 PM (starting with Free Range Radio Friday) and will end on October 26th at 8 PM with a huge party on Free Range Radio Friday!
Why We're Doing This
A lot of you are probably asking “why now?” Why, after almost 15 years of never asking you, our loyal listening audience for financial support, are we now diving head first in to our first on-air funding drive? Here’s a few key reasons why:
- Radio is a capital-intensive business, which simply means it takes a lot of money to buy and maintain the stuff that keeps us running. Since 1998, we've been running the station on roughly the same amount of funding. As the costs associated with running the radio station continue to rise, yet as mentioned the funding stays the same, the math is simple and the numbers just don't add up.
- Pledge-O-Rama will help pay for everyday incidentals such as mics, cables, headphones, turntable maintenance and needles, field recorders, and so much more! Listener support during Pledge-O-Rama will also help pay fixed costs like radio tower rent, monthly technical assistance, network maintenance and utilities.
- We believe that our listeners are our future. With the cost of running a radio station on the rise and with no increase in student fees or funding from the University, it is important for UMFM to reach out to our listeners for support to help us continue to bring them the best quality programming for years to come. It's become apparent now more than ever that campus & community radio is a medium that is now more important than ever -- we truly are the voice of the people!
- While we were very fortunate to have recently been renovated (paid for by the University of Manitoba Student’s Union), these renovated facilities mean an increase in the associated operating costs. This increase in costs has not been accompanied by a matching increase in our funding. With many more items to maintain, our costs have gone up.
The main point here is that fundraising is NOT a choice; it’s a NECESSITY.
What We Do
We broadcast a wide array of music, from indie rock to jazz, funk to folk, loud to hip-hop and everything in between, not to mention our sports coverage and great spoken word programming. UMFM distributes a wide assortment of sounds and information to its listeners and offers a ‘hit-free’ alternative to regular radio with a focus on local and national artists and affairs.
Along with our on-air programming, UMFM has always done its best to support the arts in our community. From sponsoring the city’s amazing music and arts festivals, to helping local bands with promotion, UMFM has been a strong presence in Winnipeg’s music and arts scene since its inception.
With our recent renovations, UMFM boasts a state-of-the-art recording and production facility that has recorded some amazing sessions. The new live band room has given UMFM the ability to support local talent and give them a venue to record their first demo, live session on UMFM, or perform live to air.
UMFM is a strong supporter of student groups across campus. We've never hesitated in airing their Public Service Announcements and have always given interested student groups time slots on our airwaves and the resources to program and run their own shows.
In return for providing these services, we are reaching out now to our loyal listeners, our friends and our family. Maybe some of you have won tickets or prize packages on one of our shows. Maybe you've phoned in and had your request played or have been interviewed and expressed your opinion on air. Or maybe you've attended some of the events that we've sponsored or you've been turned onto some amazing new music by one of our many shows! Whatever the case, now is the time to show us your support by calling in and pledging UMFM, a station that is hopefully as big a part of your life as it is ours!
How To Pledge
Plainly stated, during our first Pledge-O-Rama, our goal is to raise is $20, 000. Starting at 6:30PM on October 19th and running through to 8PM on October 26th, our hardworking showhosts and volunteers will be hitting the airwaves and taking your calls in in an effort to reach our goal. $20, 000 isn't an arbitrary number to us, it represents roughly 15% of our operating budget and would go a long want towards assisting in the day to day maintenance and operation of UMFM. After Pledge-O-Rama kicks off, we'll be answering those phones daily from 6AM until 3AM. However, if you miss during our prime pledge hours, you can just leave us a message at 204-474-6610 or drop us a line at pledge@umfm.com and one of our Smooth Phone Operators will get back to you ASAP! Or if you want to come down to the station during Pledge-O-Rama to pledge your support in person, we'd love to see you.
Obviously no donation is too small or too large, we're grateful for all of your support. Our aim is to make pledging to UMFM as pain free a process as possible, so we're offering you a number of different payment options and payment plans to pay your pledge. Your Pledges can be made over the phone (204-474-6610), in person (Room 308, University Centre) or online(coming soon!). You can pay in one lump sum, or you can choose to pay monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or in whatever other time configuration that works for you, it's just that easy. Pledges may be paid by in person at UMFM Headquarters, Room 308 University Centre, Monday through Friday from 10AM until 5:30PM. We're happy to accept the following forms of payment:
- Cash
- Cheque or Money Order
- Visa or MasterCard
- Debit
- Pre-Authorized Credit Card Payments based on your preferred schedule
- Paypal
Please note that we can only accept in person Credit Card or Debit payments until 3:30 Monday thru Friday. If you want to ensure that we can accomedate you, you can always phone ahead at 204-474-7027!
Incentives
Now obviously, the biggest incentive of all that any pledgee can receive is knowing that your are supporting the quality, community-supported programming that UMFM provides on a daily basis. However, we'd like to thank all of our listeners who pledge, and will be offering some great incentives, including your choice of of some limited edition UMFM swag or a tax deductable receipt. In addition all of our shows will be giving away some great prize packages that may include CDs, tickets, posters, and special one off items! And finally, for all those who pledge at least $250 will be entered into draws for some super awesome grand prizes and may even be offered the naming rights to some key UMFM fixtures for one calendar year!
This year our Pledge-O-Rama Swag Includes:
- Great Pledge-O-Rama Pins
- UMFM’s Friends With Benefits Card, good for discounts & offers at a more than 25 local businesses!
- Transmissions From UMFM 101.5, a two-disc compilation featuring some of Winnipeg’s finest
- A Re-Usable Shopping Bag
- A UMFM Coffee Mug
- An amazing T-shirt featuring the Pledge-O-Rama artwork done by the king himself, Mr. Darren Merinuk
- A sturdy, slimline record bag
Incentive Levels
All of our supporters will get a big THANK YOU and the satisfaction of knowing that they have supported something as worthwhile as UMFM. However, there are a few extra tokens of our appreciation available. Of course, all pledges, big or small will make a difference! We plan to shower gifts on everyone who takes the time to call us and show us their support by donating to UMFM. Remember, plegees can chose between a tax receipt or the one of these great incentive packages, corresponding with the amount donated:
Here's a complete list of our great incentive packages, tax receipts are also available:
Please be aware that we cannot set aside specific t-shirt sizes during Pledge-O-Rama. All of our shirts will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis. Pre-pledge to UMFM and not only we will guarantee you your desired shirt size, but one of our fine hosts will deliver it to your door or your mailbox!
