Loose Cannon: WNYC’s Fundraising Lacks Appeal

A recent fundraising drive from New York City’s public radio station shows that when it comes to engaging donors, public broadcasting’s efforts run the gamut of sublime to ridiculous.

Consider what WNET, the city’s public television station, did years ago. It ran a clip featuring the members of Monty Python, shot in such a way that the boys appeared naked (in the name of modesty they were shot from the waist up). Facing the camera, they claimed the station had stolen and sold their garments, and furthermore wasn’t heating the studio. Wouldn’t viewers please contribute money for some blankets?

Contrast this with last Tuesday’s effort from WNYC, the city’s public radio station. The drive featured Brian Lehrer, who typically brings an in-depth level of preparedness to any subject he covers. Unfortunately, his preparation isn’t the only constant feature of his show. Whether discussing the invasion of Soviet Georgia, the abuse of parking privileges among United Nations officials or, as was the case last Tuesday, a major fundraising effort, Lehrer’s vocal intonations are equally unvaried.

When a fundraising appeal goes into its 11^th consecutive minute, and each minute seems like an hour, this is a problem.

The most interesting part of Lehrer’s appeal came when a WNYC associate flumfurred his way through an explanation of the 2-for-1 donation match deal offered by station trustee Lex Kaplan. Lehrer and his cohort puzzled through the math of the offer: Was it a 200% match or a 300% match, they wondered. Not the most riveting content, at least it was an attempt to liven up the proceedings with something unscripted.

Unscripted is apparently a no-no. When the appeal was rebroadcast during the wee hours of the night, this particular portion was cut out. Which was a shame, as it was easily the most human part of the pitch. Ah, well, everyone’s allowed a mulligan now and then, especially when it’s part of a good cause.

It’s not as if NPR doesn’t have its lighter moments: The station’s weekend programming features a variety of sassy shows, such as Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me, Car Talk and This American Life. Unfortunately, these are imports to the New York station, two hailing from Chicago and one from Boston, to say nothing of a fourth from Lake Wobegon, MN.

The closest WNYC came to irreverence was when Lehrer broke out of his understated mode to comment on the matching offer. “Let’s take Lex Kaplan’s money!” Lehrer exhorted listeners. I can only assume someone snuck up behind him and shot him with a Thorazine-tipped dart, because he never went off script again.

Even offering a running tally of how the fundraising was going would have given a measure of urgency to the proceedings. Back in 2004, supporters of Howard Dean’s run for the Democratic nomination watched virtual baseball bats on his Web site fill up with donations. But WNYC – all right, this is the station’s perogative – rarely gives updates on how its drives are doing.

When WNYC is at its best, it’s smart and engaging. Why its fundraising drives have the pizzazz and verve of last week’s pot roast is a mystery not even A Prairie Home Companion’s Guy Noir could untangle.

To respond to the opinions in this column, please contact richard.levey@penton.com