With the fall semester well under way, Radio 1190 will begin its semiannual pledge drive to raise funds for the current semester. Station volunteers consider the pledge drive a celebration of independent music and the Denver metro community.
The station hopes to raise its entire $50,000 budget for rent, station equipment, maintenance and other costs by next Friday.
“Fifty thousand dollars for a semester may sound like a lot, but other stations get millions of dollars per year,” said Alex Seguin, internal promotions director. The station receives no money from the university, Colorado Public Radio or other institutions, Seguin said. Instead, it relies heavily on private donations from listeners.
Radio 1190's Joseph Oria, a junior psychology major, plays a sweeper, or a radio identification transition, between songs during their pledge drive. The station was hoping to raise $50,000. (CU Independent/Robert R. Denton)
Since its broadcast tower was donated in 1998, Radio 1190 has held its semiannual pledge drive so it can stay on the air.
“We try to bring something different, new and exciting to the airwaves,” said Sam Sacher, student general manager. “There are a lot of underrepresented artists out there, and we want to change that. We hold the pledge drive every semester so our listeners can pledge their support for that idea.”
Without university funding, Radio 1190 relies on listeners’ buying “watts” to help support the station. “We need the watts because we don’t get the money any other way,” said Melissa Cisewski, music director.
In return, listeners receive premiums as a reward for supporting independent music.
The premiums include T-shirts, CD/vinyl packs, gift certificates for local music stores and pairs of concert tickets. Some of the tickets this semester are for sold-out shows like Mac Miller and Amon Tobin, as well as Devotchka, Lykke Li, Method Man, Tech N9ne and others. Donors also have the option of making a tax deductible donation.
“Listeners are our lifeblood; there is no reason to have the station without them,” Seguin said. “We have an open dialogue with them, so we continue to discover new music. Everything we do is for them.”
Cisewski noted the importance of listeners behind the scenes at Radio 1190.
“They get excited about the music we play and request songs that our DJs may have never heard before,” she said. “They help create a community between our audience and the DJs.”
Support comes mostly from listeners and local companies like Wax Trax and Cosmo’s Pizza. That way, support comes from those who appreciate Radio 1190’s message, not from companies that want to manipulate that message, Seguin said.
The station is not exactly a desirable venue for corporate advertising, since it plays to a niche audience.
“Since we play independent music that you can’t hear anywhere else, it’s hard to get a Coke sponsorship without playing the same Chris Brown song over and over,” Sacher said.
“Our listeners don’t want to hear commercials, so that was never an option,” Seguin added. “It doesn’t fit our independent spirit. We reject any corporate guys coming through who want to run their commercials on air.”
To support Radio 1190, call 303.735.ROCK (7625) to donate.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Avalon Jacka at Avalon.jacka@colorado.edu.
