Category: Blog

PLEDGE DRIVE Begins September 17th!

Loyal listeners, it’s that time of year again! Our annual pledge drive begins on Tuesday, September 17th and continues until the following Monday, September 23rd. This fundraiser constitutes a major percentage of the station’s budget and allows us to keep broadcasting great independent music across the Hudson Valley and beyond.

There are three ways to make a pledge:

  1. Call into the station at (845) 437-7178 during a show you love and one of our phone tenders will take down your info. We’ll then mail you an invoice and send over your premiums once it’s returned to us.
  2. Download and print the pledge form here, enclose a check or fill out your payment information, and mail it to us at the address listed. Once we receive your payment we’ll send over your premiums.
  3. Make a credit card donation online here. Unfortunately, due to internal processing, we cannot offer premiums for online donations.

See below for photos of our incredible premiums this year!

$5 and up: Bottle opener and sticker
$30 and up: T-shirt, bottle opener, and sticker
$66 and up: Tote bag, bottle opener, and sticker
$150 and up: Hoodie, bottle opener, and sticker
$200 and up: All of the above!

Every pledge is appreciated, no matter the value! Anything you give goes a long way to us keeping the station running, and we’re honored that you can be a part of that.

Each donation comes with a premium, but if you elect to not receive a premium, 100% of your donation will go to WVKR alone. If you choose to donate without receiving premiums, then your entire donation is tax-deductible. If you do receive premiums then only the surplus of your pledge (total pledge amount minus the cost of merchandise) is tax-deductible. More detailed information will be mailed to you on your invoice.

Thank you, as always, for your enduring support. Without your help WVKR would not be able to operate, and it’s important now more than ever to help keep independent radio alive. All of our DJs, from those community members that have been the face of the station for years to new students awaiting their first show, are waiting at the phones incredibly excited to chat with you. Please reach out to generalmanager@wvkr.org if you have any questions or concerns.

Here’s to a great year ahead!
Best,
the WVKR 2024-2025 exec staff

Happy National College Radio Day, and 47th Anniversary to WVKR-FM!

Dear WVKR Community,

Today, October 6th, Is National College Radio Day, and is also the 47th Anniversary of WVKR beginning our FM broadcast! It is a day of celebration for us on both accounts. 

College radio is an unmatched platform–it lifts voices, has arguably the most unique programming on any broadcast medium, and lets students and community members explore the joy of radio! 

WVKR’s FM signal was granted on October 6th, 1976, the result of a petition filed by WVKR + Vassar to the FCC. In a time where more and more college radio stations are switching to online-only radio, our 5-state FM broadcast radius is extremely valuable and a wonderful asset to our unique station.

On this day of celebration, I’m also happy to announce that, as of now, the total amount pledged for the 2023 Pledge Drive is $21,257.99–a really wonderful turnout! As always, thank you so much for your support of our station and for your generosity–it means a great deal and all funds will go to good use.

In the few weeks since the Pledge Drive, we’ve also fully transitioned to our fall schedule. Check out the Program Guide here or in the site’s menu to keep yourself updated on the schedule of your favorite shows. Please join us in celebrating this wonderful day!

All best,

Casey 

WVKR General Manager 2023-2024

For more information and updates on National College Radio Day, visit www.collegeradio.org

Annual Pledge Drive Begins September 12th

Hello loyal WVKR listeners!

Tuesday, September 12th marks the start of our annual Pledge Drive, our major yearly fundraiser! Our Pledge Drive provides a major percentage of our annual budget and allows for both the continuation of our station as well as independent radio as a whole.

This year, Pledge Drive will take place from Tuesday, September 12th – Tuesday, September 18th, but we will also accept pledges outside of this timeframe! 

Here’s how to pledge:

  1. Call into the station at (845) 437-7178 during a show you love and one of our phone tenders will take down your info. We’ll then mail you an invoice for your pledge.
  2. Make a credit card donation online here (https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/36458/donations/new) – NOTE: Due to internal processing, we cannot offer premiums through this method.

Additionally, here are visuals of the premiums we’re offering this year, as well as their respective donation tiers:

A black bottle opener with the WVKR logo.
A black t-shirt with the the purple text "The radio station of your dreams" above the WVKR logo.
A black sweatshirt with the the purple text "The radio station of your dreams" above the WVKR logo.
A black sticker featuring a small head shouting "I heart WVKR 91.3 FM" in a purple text bubble.
A black tote bag featuring the WVKR logo, a purple face with yellow headphones thinking "WVKR" with the letters stylized as thought clouds.

$1.00 and up: Sticker

$5.00 and up: Bottle opener and sticker

$25.00 and up: T-shirt (sizes S-XXL), bottle opener, and sticker

$50.00 and up: Tote bag, bottle opener, and sticker

$100.00 and up: Hoodie (sizes S-XXL), bottle opener, and sticker

$150.00 and up: All of the above!

Every pledge to the station is appreciated, no matter the value! It’s an honor for us that you want to help us keep running. Each donation comes with a premium, but if you elect to not receive a premium, 100% of your donation will go to WVKR alone.

If you choose to donate without receiving premiums, then your entire donation is tax-deductible. If you do receive premiums then only the surplus of your pledge (total pledge amount minus the cost of merchandise) is tax-deductible. More detailed information will be mailed to you on your invoice.

As always, thank you so much for your support of our truly wonderful station! Each year, it is so incredibly heartwarming to see the sheer amount of contributions that come in. If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please reach out to me at generalmanager@wvkr.org!

All the best,

Casey McDonough

WVKR 2023-24 General Manager

Hudson Valley Rag Shop to Switch to A Podcast-Only Format

D.B. Brown’s long-standing Hudson Valley Rag Shop, which has previously aired on Tuesdays from 6-8PM, will now be switching to a podcast-only format.

Starting this week, (June 6th, 2023) to hear the weekly podcast of the Rag Shop and its eclectic Americana tracks, send a request to D.B. at folk@wvkr.org!!

A big thanks and many congratulations to D.B. for his extensive tenure on the air here at WVKR and for this new formatting venture!