I’d like to extend a note of personal thanks to everyone who contributed to WPRB 103.3 FM yesterday morning during Classic Ross Amico. It was kind of a slow start, and then, at a point, when it finally got busy, we were understaffed with telephone volunteers, possibly dropping a few calls, yet we managed to raise something like $1500.
Your support demonstrates not only that you appreciate all that I do, getting out of bed at 4:00 in the morning, putting together an interesting program, interviewing guests from the arts community, and most of all, sharing the music, it also shows that you care about maintaining an independent, locally-based alternative to the bland homogeneity that settles drowsily across the playlists and presentation heard on many other radio stations.
It’s heartening that our contributors have been so generous and, as always, enthusiastic. However, the station still came up somewhat short of its $60,000 goal. Therefore, WPRB is leaving up its pledge page for another week. We won’t be hard pitching over the air, but we will put out the call occasionally, for anyone who really wanted to contribute but either missed the opportunity or could not.
Sorry, the special “Classic Ross Amico” thank you gifts of lovingly assembled CDs are no longer available (well, maybe, if you contact me directly, but you need to make a pledge to the WPRB page); however, the stickers, the downloads, the calendar and the WPRB apparel are all still yours for the taking, for the next week only. Follow the link to make a pledge and claim your gifts:
http://wprb.com/wprb-membership-drive-2016/
I’d also like to thank the labels, performers and distributors who were so kind as to help me secure premiums for the drive: John Baker of Affetto Records, Clipper Erickson, piano, of Westminster Conservatory, Tom Steenland of Starkland Records, Becky Starobin of Bridge Records, Inc., and Gail Wein of Classical Music Communications.
Thanks also to WPRB’s Sandy Steiglitz, Marvin Rosen and Jack Hollingsworth for donating their time and on-air talent and for helping to answer the telephones. Nobody’s too proud at WPRB, unless it be the justifiable pride of sharing unusual music with our devoted listeners. Thank you again for your support!