Featured Image: Volunteer Norm Williams answers phone calls. (Photo Courtesy of WDIY)
(Lehigh Valley, PA) — Public radio WDIY-FM set an all-time record with its 2018 Fall Membership Drive, which ended on Wednesday, October 17.
Bill Dautremont-Smith, WDIY interim director, and Greg Capogna, WDIY’s new executive director, reported the station broke the $100,000 mark for the first time in a single drive in the station’s 23-year history. According to Dautremont-Smith, the final listener contributions came in late Wednesday, ending the campaign a day ahead of schedule.
The on-air drive also included a partnership between WDIY and Valley National Financial Advisors to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley & Northeast PA. Through Valley National’s participation in the drive, 12,865 meals will be prepared for local people in need.
Capogna, who joined the station’s staff during the final days of the drive, credits the success of the campaign to Dautremont-Smith and his dedication to the future vision of WDIY and Lehigh Valley local public radio. “The reason people give to a live and local public radio station is because its programming is important to them. The success of this campaign is a clear indication of how well WDIY is serving its listeners and in turn, the community,” he said.
WDIY, which is based in South Bethlehem, is the only locally-based station carrying programming from NPR, the national public radio network. In addition to NPR news programs such as Morning Edition and All Things Considered, the station features a wide range of music hosted by local volunteers, from classical, jazz and blues to folk, indie rock and world music.
The station broadcasts at 88.1 FM, its main signal, and also has repeater transmitters serving Easton-Phillipsburg at 93.9 and Foglesville-Trexlertown at 93.7. In addition, WDIY streams on the web at wdiy.org.
Information provided to TVL by:
Shamus McGroggan
WDIY 88.1 FM
Membership & Development Manager
