Listeners to WJHU-FM (88.1) this week brought the station's winter fund-raising drive to an end a little more than a day earlier than planned, under a new strategy that counted telephone callers rather than dollars.
A final money tally was not immediately available, but the station heard from pledge caller number 1,000 early Thursday evening. The drive began Dec. 2.
Program director Chris Wienke said the station set 1,000 pledges as the goal, rather than a specific dollar amount, "because we're really talking about the people we need to support the station."
Dennis Kita, station general manager, said the drive ended at 7 p.m. Thursday, with a drawing for a grand prize of a trip to the Virgin Islands -- a premium that beats the usual tote bag or T-shirt.
WJHU also collaborated in the pledge drive for the second year with Action for the Homeless and First National Bank of Maryland. The bank agreed to contribute an average of 12.5 percent of each listener's pledge to the local advocacy group.
And in a mixed media contribution, some local television news figures staffed the microphones for portions of the drive, including Stan Saunders, Marty Bass, Kelly Saunders and Marcellus Alexander of WJZ (Channel 13) and Carolyn McEnrue, Rob Roblin and Virg Jaques of WBAL (Channel 11). Carol Costello of WBAL and Mary Beth Marsden of WMAR (Channel 2), were also still scheduled to appear when the drive ended early.
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The Morgan State University Choir has drawn the attention of National Public Radio this year, which taped an hour-long holiday special featuring the renowned singing ensemble conducted by Nathan Carter.
"Shout for Joy: Christmas with the Morgan State University Choir" is being distributed to NPR's 511 stations across the nation.
It can be heard for the first time in Baltimore at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15, on WEAA-FM (88.9), the NPR-affiliated station on the Morgan State campus.
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Baltimore's other listener-supported station that programs classical music, WBJC-FM (91.5), did not do a December fund-raising drive this year.
"We're down to just eight days a year now," says general manager Cary Smith, noting the next drive is scheduled for four days in February, with another to follow in the fall.
"The staff doesn't particularly like it and the listeners don't particularly like it," he says of the on-air fund-raising efforts.
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For fans of the weekly puzzle segment of National Public Radio's "Weekend Edition" program on Sundays, Aircheck hereby clarifies the answer to the challenge posed in the Nov. 30 edition by "puzzlemaster" Will Shortz.
A WJHU pledge break last Sunday obscured the beginning of the puzzle segment, and some readers may not have heard the answer.
"Mug shot" was the solution to the challenge: "Name two containers for alcoholic beverages, put one after the other, and you'll get a common phrase that has nothing to do with alcohol."
Aircheck is a weekly column of news and highlights from the local radio airwaves. To submit potential items, write: Aircheck, attn. Steve McKerrow, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore 21278; or fax, (410) 783-2519.