Wednesday, July 24, 2019

NEW “PLEDGELAB” SITE HELPS MAKE EVERY WORD COUNT • MORE NIELSEN SPRING RATINGS FOR DIARY MARKETS


Roger Gomoll is a lifelong pilot and is certified for
glider, single and multi-engine airplanes
Roger and Liz Gomoll have launched a new pledge drive information website based on the notion that there is no time to waste during on-air pitching.  

PledgeLab [link] offers advice and tips about ways to plan and execute on-air fundraising.

We recommend PledgeLab to anyone in public media, particularly folks at smaller shops who don’t have the budget to bring in consultants. 

The basic premise of PledgeLab is to make every word of pitching count. In other words, a few well chosen words are more effective than chit-chat when you are trying to raise money.

One of the best features of PledgeLab is a collection of personal essays from pros that know what works, and what doesn’t. For example, we are featuring (on the right) a slightly edited version of an essay written by Mike Arnold from Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) is on the right. You can read the entire essay here.

Arnold talks about his own evolution from a free-form, go with the flow, self-indulgent pitching style, to a pre-planned, pre-scripted approach. A more disciplined method can have vitality, presence and humor. Plus it is much more effective in getting the phones to ring.

Other essays we recommend include Good Pledge Equals Good Radio by Ira Glass, Hostiness by Scott Williams and Pledge Drive Rehearsals Made Easy by John Munson.

According to Roger Gomall, successful pitching starts with a messaging plan built on key words and phrases to engage listeners and invite them to contribute. Repetition and consistency matter because people tune-in and tune-out every minute. What may seem to be overkill to a pledge drive staffer but the message may be new for a listener.

PledgeLab might sound like a product marketed by a large corporation but it actually originates from a “mom and pop” shop. 

Roger and Liz Gomoll
Roger and Liz Gomoll have kept their business direct and personal for maximum benefit of clients. The basics are the same for each station but the plan is a custom, homegrown process.

Roger Gomoll has worked in public radio since 1975. For 23 years he worked at Minnesota Public Radio as that organization grew from a small shop and became one of public media’s most successful and influential nonprofit companies. He also worked for the Development Exchange (now Greater Public) and Public Radio International (PRI).

Elizabeth Williams Gomoll is the CEO of PledgeLab. She spent years raising money for the the Rochester (MN) Symphony Orchestra.  Like Roger, she is also a licensed pilot.

Roger and Liz started their independent business in the mid-2000s.

NIELSEN AUDIO TOP-LINE RATINGS FOR ALBANY, BUFFALO, LOUISVILLE & SYRACUSE



WAMC continues to set the pace for NPR News/Talk stations in a medium and smaller size markets. 

Like many news stations, they saw a peak in listening in 2017.


AAA WEXT The Exit may have seen a boost from their second signal at 106.1 FM. We first reported on the new signal in January [link].




Both public radio stations in Buffalo seem to be holding their listeners. “News fatigue” apparently has set in as it has elsewhere. Look for the fatigue to pass as we get closer to 2020.

Both WBFO and WNED have a large number of listeners in Ontario, Canada. The extent of this listening is not known because Nielsen doesn’t measure Canadian stations and Numeris, in Canada, doesn’t report listening to U.S. stations.



All three Louisville Public Media stations are doing well, particularly NPR News/Talk WFPL. 

The AQH share trend for AAA WFPK has been down since Spring 2017. Listening to Classical WUOL remains remarkably stable.




In Syracuse it appears that WAER is making some gains at the possible expense of WRVO. 

WAER has eliminated Jazz during key weekday hours and added popular syndicated news and talk programs. 

Jazz still airs in the late evening and overnight.

WAER should have made this change years ago but “better late than never.”


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