ABOUT UNDERWRITING

Understanding Underwriting
Underwriting is the name the FCC has given to announcements acknowledging public radio's supporters from the business community. Although listener contributions remain the single largest source of KCRW's funding, they have not kept up with the growing expenses of running a radio station in the second largest radio market in the world. Without underwriting, KCRW would be forced to hold a third on-air fundraiser.

Sounds of Silence
While the commercial "breaks" on L.A. radio have become longer and longer, underwriting announcements on KCRW have become 25% shorter. Each announcement is now limited to only 15 seconds, and there are never more than six local "credits" per hour - that's a minute and a half per hour as compared to more than 10 minutes of ads often heard per hour on commercial stations. Paid public service announcements for nonprofits such as performing arts organizations and schools remain just 30 seconds.

KCRW has also cut the time for station program promotion by 50% by reducing these spots from 30 seconds to mostly just 15 seconds. We've also slashed the time allocated to fundraising spots designed to support our direct mail campaigns. Previously these spots ran one minute. Now they're 30 seconds.

No Interruptions
KCRW does not interrupt its news and information programs for underwriting announcements!

Except for on-air fund drives, regular programming is not pre-empted for non-program material. Program breaks are provided by NPR and PRI, usually four per hour. Hourly station identification announcements are required by the FCC. Our underwriting policy on local music programs prohibits interruptions during discreet music sets or in-studio concerts and interviews.

More is Less
So, yes, you are hearing the names of more underwriters than ever. But you're hearing shorter announcements, and you're experiencing one less subscription drive! So there is more reason to support KCRW underwriters than ever before.

Ways of Supporting KCRW
KCRW raises the bulk of its operating budget from the station s 55,000+ subscribers through twice-annual on-air fundraisers. The remainder comes from a variety of organizations including corporations and non-profits who support the station in a variety of ways. Thanks to them, we don t have to go on-air a third time.

Below you’ll find an overview of the ways KCRW works with organizations in the community. Are you interested in finding out more? Please contact David Kleinbart in KCRW’s Development Department.

BUSINESS CIRCLE SUPPORTERS
Organizations who join KCRW s Business Circle do so with an annual fixed contribution, which entitles them to (1x) weekly name acknowledgement on-air for one year and (1x) daily name acknowledgement during the first Pledge Drive after they join the Business Circle.

UNDERWRITING
This is the most effective way to create a regular on-air presence, reaching KCRW’s listeners week in and week out. Underwriting credits are 15 seconds long, can include information about your company’s products and services, and can include a phone number or web address. Underwriting flights can run as short as a week or as long as a year, depending on the commitment of the underwriter; and they can take the form of whole-station or specific-program support. Underwriters can narrowly target segments of KCRW’s audience, or reach the audience as a whole. Underwriters support KCRW with $3,000 to $300,000 annual contributions.

CHALLENGE GRANTS DURING PLEDGE DRIVES
Nearly two dozen organizations specifically seek to challenge KCRW listeners to support the public radio station during its twice annual pledge drives through providing challenge grants during drivetime hours. This is a great opportunity for businesses to give back to the community and create corporate good will at the same time. Challenge Grant providers contribute $2,000 to $10,000 per pledge drive.

SPECIAL EVENT SPONSORSHIPS
When KCRW hosts events in the community, listeners and supporters of the station are thrilled at the opportunity to meet and greet each other and be treated to great KCRW programming at the same time. Your organization can capitalize on this good will by underwriting KCRW special events from Good Food Live to A Sounds Eclectic Evening. Sponsorships run $5,000 to $25,000.

PLEDGE DRIVE PROMOTIONS
When KCRW goes on-air in August and February to raise money for its annual operating budget, more than 600 local businesses contribute premiums ranging in value from $50 to $5000, and receive promotional consideration commensurate with their donation. Year in and year out, these businesses consider KCRW Pledge Drive Promotions a great tool for increasing awareness. Please contact Laura Shumate at KCRW for more information.

ON-AIR TICKET GIVEAWAYS
KCRW offers tickets to performing arts and other events through Southern California many times each day. Ticket providers offer 5-pair blocks of tickets and in exchange receive on-air promotion for doing so. Opportunities are limited. Please contact Cathy Tamkin at KCRW for more information.

FRINGE BENEFITS
More than 800 Southland merchants and organizations participate in this program to reward KCRW supporters. Organizations offer incentives to Fringe Benefits cardholders – usually discounts of 15% or more, but sometimes 2-for-1 offers or other inducements. Fringe Benefits cardholders have grown steadily since the program’s inception five years ago. Please contact Laura Shumate at KCRW for more information.

KCRW Corporate & Community Supporters
KCRW thanks the following corporate, non-profit and foundation funders for their support. We encourage you to patronize our corporate & non-profit underwriters and write the station's foundation funders to thank them!

Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences
Air France
All Roads Film Project
Alschuler Grossman LLP
American Cinematheque
American Film Institute
American Lung Association
Amoeba Music
Argosy University Santa Monica
Beringer Vineyards
Bill Silva Presents
Black Dahlia Theatre
Boeing Company
Boffi-Los Angeles
Bowers Museum
Bradco Kitchens & Baths
Brewery Art Association
CA African American Museum
CA Institute of the Arts/REDCAT
California Society of Certified Public Accountants
Capitol Records
CBIZ
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Center Theatre Group
Childrens Hospital Orange County
City National Bank
City of Hope
City of Santa Monica
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Greater Los Angeles
CSULB Extension
Dance at the Music Center
David Bohnett Foundation
Discovery Channel
Du Vin Wine & Spirits
Eco Gift 2008
E-Loan
Film Independent
First Independent Films
Flex Your Power
Focus Features
Fowler Museum
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Frank Lloyd Gallery
Geffen Playhouse
Getty Center
Glendale Memorial Hospital
Grand Performances
Gray Matter FX
Greenberg Glusker
Griffith Observatory
Grove of Anaheim
Hammer Museum
HBO Films
Holland & Knight LLP
Hollywood Entertainment District
Hotel Bel Air
Houghton Mifflin
House of Blues Concerts
IFC Films
Irvine Barclay Theatre
Italian Film Commission
iTrain
Jack Rutberg Fine Arts
Jetsetter Productions
John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation
Kidspace Children's Museum
Lions Gate
Lannan Foundation
Little Brown
Live Nation
Long Beach Symphony Orchestra
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
Los Angeles County Bar & Lawyer Referral & Information Services
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Los Angeles Fashion District
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Loyola Marymount University Extension
Maloney Vision Institute
Mercedes-Benz Dealers of Southern California
Merrill Lynch
Milano Foundation for Foodchain Records
Miramax Films
MOCA
Morphosis
Mount St. Mary's College
The Muzeo
Nathan Cummings Foundation
Museum of Latin American Art
Nederlander
New Line Home Entertainment
Norton Simon Museum
Opera Pacific
Orange County Museum of Art
Orange County Performing Arts
O'Shaughnessy Foundation
Palm Pictures
Pantages Theatre
Paramount Classics
Pasadena Playhouse
Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology
Philharmonic Society of Orange County
Poketo
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Providence Health System
Prudential John Aaroe Charitable Foundation
Real Pie Media
Renaissance School for Arts and Sciences
Reprise! Broadway’s Best
Robert Berman Gallery
Roland Tseng College of Extended Learning at Cal State University
Roth Family Foundation
Rutter Hobbs & Davidoff
Samuel Goldwyn Films
Santa Monica Auctions
Santa Monica Festival
Santa Monica Museum of Art
Shea Homes
simplehuman
Skirball Cultural Center
Smithsonian's National Zoo, Friends of the National Zoo and Fujifilm USA
Sony Music
Sony Pictures Classics
South Coast Repertory Theatre
Southern California Lexus Dealers
St. Vincent Medical Center
Sundance Film Festival
The Los Angeles Music Center
Thinkfilm Company
Tracy Do and Michael Slater, Prudential California Realty
TreePeople
TroyGould Attorneys
Turner Classic Movies
UCLA Extension
UCLA Live
United Artists Pictures
Universal Pictures
USA Network
USC Spectrum
Venice Family Clinic
Verizon Amphitheater
VISA
Vistamar School
Voce
Warner Bros.
The Weinstein Company
Wilshire Theatre
WNET