A week of (fun)draising

Yesterday kicked off WHFB Community Radio’s fundraising week. The drive will last until April 6. \nChad Carrothers, WFHB news director, said WFHB is a media co-op, meaning the members of the station decide what they want to hear. \nCarolyn VandeWiele, president of WFHB, said it runs a fund drive twice a year – in the spring and the fall. \nCarrothers said the idea for WFHB started 30 years ago, but WFHB has been licensed and operating for 15 years. \nVandeWiele said the goal for the fund drive is $50,000. She said WFHB has come pretty close to reaching its goal most years. \nIn our country’s current economic state, VandeWiele said that she will have to wait two weeks to see if the economy will affect the fund drive. \nHowever, “We’re not asking for huge amounts of money,” she said. \nWFHB does not receive federal funding. It receives some grants from the city, however. For example, the sign in the front of the radio building was paid for by a city grant.\nBloomington is a community that supports the arts in a way that many communities don’t, VandeWiele said. The arts are an emphasis that Bloomington has developed.\nIn response to what needs to be done to create more funding for public broadcasting, VandeWiele said there needs \nto be a change in mindset at the top.\n“The Bush administration has tried to decrease money for public broadcasting during their entire cycle.”\nShe said what the Bush administration feels and does reflects on Congress and so on.\n“Look at schools, for example. When they tighten the belt, the first thing that is thrown out is art and music.”\nHowever, VandeWiele said she believes that the arts are an important part of childhood development. She said a well-rounded education includes the arts. \nThe fund drive began Wednesday with a local two-hour music broadcast called Local Live. \nLocal Live is a weekly program, but Jim Manion, music programming director for WHFB, said the station will broadcast the program next week for two hours from the John Waldron Arts Center Auditorium, which is next to WFHB. VandeWiele said Local Live will feature local artists, and afterward there will be a DJ. \nFriday, March 28 will start the on-air fund drive. \nMonday, March 31 begins Power Week – a week-long celebration in the Fire House, at 108 W. Fourth St. Monday will also be Bucceto’s non-profit night. Anyone who eats at Bucceto’s between 4 and 10 p.m. and mentions WFHB will have 20 percent of their purchase donated to he radio station. \nOn Saturday, March 29, WFHB will host the Fund Drive Live Rent Party, including a performance by a jazz quartet. All events taking place in the Waldron Auditorium will also be broadcast on WFHB. \nPeople will be able to become members of the radio station at these events. Another way in which the radio station will be asking for support is over the airwaves. \n“WFHB is such a community-based organization,” Manion said. \nA lot of volunteers for the radio station come on air during this week and help ask people for support. Carrothers will be coaching volunteers on how to ask for money on the air.\nHowever, Manion said WFHB is going to try not to change its regular programming during the fund drive. \nManion said WFHB has been very successful in the past 15 years in raising money through its listeners. \n“Every year we have gotten better at it [the fund drive],” VandeWiele said.