October 7-14, 2009: The third annual WPRB Membership Drive! A week of special programming you don’t want to miss!
WPRB 103.3 FM’s annual Membership Drive returns for its third year in October and promises to be an exciting week filled with unique, exclusive programming from your favorite community supported independent radio station.
The membership drive begins on October 7th, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) and runs until the end of broadcast day on October 14th. The drive week will feature a variety of unique, exclusive programming, including live in-studio performances, artist interviews, expanded DJ sets, special on-air hosts – not to mention a few surprises. WPRB returns with a new and expanded lineup of membership premiums exclusive to this year’s drive, designed by a group of local and international visual artists.
WPRB kicks off its drive with Jon Solomon’s program at 7:00 p.m. ET and features live performances by Obits (Sub Pop Records), Danielson (Secretly Canadian Records), Screaming Females (Don Giovanni Records), and The Spinto Band (Park the Van Records). Matador recording artist Jennifer O’Connor will perform covers live in-studio in exchange for pledges.
Experience fresh, new programming every day of the drive! WPRB’s original radio serial, “Rock Blastaar,” returns for a sequel you won’t want to miss. You can listen to the original series in its entirety at the WPRB Blog. In addition to the performances on Jon Solomon’s show, WPRB will feature live sets by Blues Control (Siltbreeze Records), Chairlift (Kanine Records), Melissa Dunphy’s “The Gonzales Cantata” and much more daily at 3:00 p.m. ET. Check out the full schedule here:
Listeners can make a pledge of ten dollars or more and receive an exclusive membership premium from WPRB. As with previous drives, local and international artists donate designs to feature on magnets, bumper stickers, T-shirts, hooded sweatshirts, and bags.
The premium items designed exclusively for the 2009 Membership Drive were provided by Ana Benaroya (NJ), Jennifer Cooke (MA), Keith Greiman (PA), Sohrab Habibon (NYC), Hawk Krall (PA), Dr. Pizzoli (PA), and Mathieu Trudel (Montreal, Canada). Want to know more about these fantastic premiums?
In addition to the above premiums, the station offers limited-edition premiums during specific programs. These include autographed copies of albums, CD/LP box sets, DVDs, gift certificates to local restaurants and retailers, and more. These special premiums are exclusive to listeners pledging by telephone during the drive. Renowned independent record labels such as Sub Pop, Matador, Merge, Polyvinyl and more have donated select releases from their catalogs to help WPRB raise funds. A full list of companies that have donated limited-edition premiums will be available through pledge.wprb.com.
To make a donation during the Membership Drive, telephone operators will be standing by at (609) 258-1033 to take pledges at all hours of the broadcast day (beginning at 6:00 a.m. ET and running typically until 4:00 a.m.). Listeners will also be able to donate online during the drive through WPRB’s secure Membership Drive portal, located at pledge.wprb.com.
All donations are tax-deductible. WPRB accepts all major credit cards, PayPal, and checks, as well as the option to pay in installments. Listeners who donate during the Membership Drive receive on-air acknowledgment during broadcast hours.
About the WPRB Membership Drive
In 2007, the Board of Trustees of WPRB and the undergraduate student board of directors decided to shift to a member-supported operating model for the future, thereby allowing WPRB to maintain greater flexibility and control over its programming.
While WPRB is located on Princeton University’s campus, the station does not receive funding from the school. Donations pledged during the membership drive will support station operations – equipment maintenance, music purchases, and more.
The 2008 Membership Drive rose over $30,000 for WPRB’s operating budget, and demonstrated the commitment of WPRB’s listeners to supporting unique and varied independent radio programming.
Derek Bermel is a clarinetist and composer whose works draw from a rich variety of musical genres including classical, jazz, pop, rock, blues, and gospel. He has received commissions from many major performers and ensembles and has been described by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as “one of America’s finest young composers.” He is the current Artist In Residence at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.
George Crumb, one of America’s most well-known living composers, has received many awards including the 1968 Pulitzer Prize. He taught for many years at the University of Pennsylvania and has traveled frequently to Asia, Australia, and Europe, where his works were given many performances. Many of his works employ unique timbres and employ unusual playing techniques.