I have been working my way through the streamed audio archives of This American Life – a radio programme I frequently plug on these pages – and I started listening to a collection of pledge breaks. These are the short pieces public radio in the US uses to drum up money from its listeners. I suddenly realised that although I am accustomed to feel like I am just evesdropping on something that is not really aimed at me, the fundraising message is just as valid for me as it is for the people it is addressed to in America.
I have been listening to TAL for more than a year and altogether I have heard and enjoyed more than a hundred hours of their programming. Yet I had not given them a dime though unlike conventional radio listeners I am actually costing the show money as I listen because each time they send more audio across the Internet they have to pay (for bandwidth and for additional hardware). So I tried to find a way to send TAL some money – there is nothing on their website even asking for it. And I contacted their broadcast network, PRI, but they only accept cheques.
Eventually, I emailed Elizabeth, who runs the TAL website, she passed on my request to Todd Bachmann, who is Production Manager for the show and I called him up directly and gave him $75 to salve my conscience.
And I found out a strange thing – I am the first person to do this! To the best of the knowledge of Todd and the guys at PRI, no overseas listener has ever asked to donate money even though they have been streaming their programmes over the web for years. Can I be the only person out of the 40,000 people every month who listen to the programme on the Internet who feels they should contribute a little something to make sure this stays on the air?
Come on, people! If through my prompting I managed to persuade you to listen to This American Life and you liked it please call Todd Bachmann on +1 312-832-3411 and pledge now. Tell him I sent you…
