For the last couple of years, KPOO has done very well in their annual Fall fund drives. Both in 2021 and 2022 their goal was $75K and both times they raised more than double that amount -- and in advance of their Dec 31st deadline. I chalked it up to the pandemic and some folks' renewed appreciation of "live'n'local" radio. But this week they are running promos saying that they are less than halfway to the $75K goal (they've raised apx $30K as of today). This seems odd given the success of the past 2 years. Is it inflation? The multiple technical and programming mishaps of the past few years? Hosts who disappeared at the beginning of the pandemic never returned; Grinders Grooveyard has been in reruns since April of last year; often some popular hosts don't show up and we get "Mystery Deejay" (i.e., automated programming) instead. I love the station; they're unique and do things no one else does. It certainly seems like a steep and unexpected dropoff in $$$.
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KPOO way behind in fund-raising
- Thread starter RadioJunkieMike
- Start date
I posted the Discussion thread in the link below a few months ago..But part of the issue for NPR/PBS stations and non-commercial stations like KPOO is that, once the Trump administration changed the tax rules and significantly raised the standard deduction, many people who gave to charity and nonprofits in part to get a bit of a write off at tax time. no longer had that ability. That in mind, some folks no longer had as much incentive to give. Many non-profits and charities felt the impact and as a result, Congress passed some legislation stating that, for the past few years, one could deduct up to $300 in cash only donations (not goods or services, etc.) for single filers, and $600 for those filing married/joint. That expired last year and was not renewed for the 2022 tax year.
In simpler terms it means that many who could give smaller amounts to charities and nonprofits like KPOO and may have been motivated to do so by the fact that they could use it as a deduction at tax time, no longer have that ability or incentive unless they make a LOT of charitable/nonprofit donations or have other reasons to meet the required $$$ in deductions. Those who were motivated to give $$$ because they could write it off, no longer have that as a motivator.
In simpler terms it means that many who could give smaller amounts to charities and nonprofits like KPOO and may have been motivated to do so by the fact that they could use it as a deduction at tax time, no longer have that ability or incentive unless they make a LOT of charitable/nonprofit donations or have other reasons to meet the required $$$ in deductions. Those who were motivated to give $$$ because they could write it off, no longer have that as a motivator.
NPR / PBS donations potentially impacted by elimination of $300 / $600 charitable deduction for 2022 tax year
As a listener-supported internet station, we're seeing that as well for our end-of-year support. YTD has been on par with the last 2 years, but December is usually the biggest month of the year for us, and we're already down 20% from last year. People seem to be much more cautious about discretionary spending now.
Thanks for reminding me about KPOO, just made a donation! Even tho I don't listen that much, I want them to be there when I want to tune in. I have huge respect for the crew there.
Thanks for reminding me about KPOO, just made a donation! Even tho I don't listen that much, I want them to be there when I want to tune in. I have huge respect for the crew there.
As if in response to my post above, Patricia Nobile, one of the hosts who disappeared at the beginning of the pandemic, was suddenly back in her old (Monday 6-830pm) time slot tonite. Might've been nice if the station had, oh, I dunno, promoted her return in advance? She implied that she had stopped doing the show because BART had begun closing at 9pm in March of 2020, but they resumed regular service in Aug of 2021. Curiouser and curiouser.
Happy to say that, after the "we're less than halfway to our goal" announcements in early Dec, KPOO ended up more than doubling their target by month's end, just as they had the previous 2 years. Meanwhile, after 4 weeks back in her old timeslot, it appears Patricia has disappeared again. We got "Mystery Deejay" playing pre-programmed jazz instead.
With those call letters......."Despite our station name, we don't play crappy music!"
In my warped little mind I keep hearing that clip from January 6th 2021 of Nancy Pelosi (which Colbert, Kimmel, Meyers and SNL have had so much fun replaying or spoofing), describing the damage to the Capitol after the riot: "They left poo-poo, we had to clean up the poo-poo." If only KPOO could turn that into a promo. Hey, maybe they already did, something like "They left K-poo-poo on the carpet!"
For those who don't know, the call letters are supposed to have you imagine a fifth letter---"R". It's "Poor People's Radio".
I would have seen if KPOR were available, but...
I would have seen if KPOR were available, but...
...and tonite it's KPOO's turn to be knocked off the air (tho' they're still streaming).
Weird weather pattern. One minute the sky looks like it's going to be a glorious night, then a few moments later it's meteorological Armageddon. (Armageddon just wafted through the lower Peninsula in the last hour.)
Where is their transmitter?
It's atop a building on Nob Hill, near downtown San Francisco
As of this writing (Wed morning around 11:15) they are broadcasting at very low power, it appears -- can barely hear their signal in SF. Listening last nite to Harrison C and DJ Lamont, neither one said anything about there being technical issues. I messaged the station this morning (could it be they didn't know?) and haven't gotten a response.
Clay & Jones St Apartment. 1250 Jones St. Nob Hill, San Francisco
Johnny Brooklyn just said that they are at low power because "Water got into the antenna". And they obv can't work on that until the rain stops for longer than one day (we're getting rain tomorrow thru at least Mon). But he was the first person to mention it afaik.
Is that where 92.7 used to be as well?
This building:
No. It was in the Bellaire Towers on Russian Hill. Probably way different now, but I leased a subcarrier from them in the KJAZ days and you rode in an elevator that was manually operated by someone. It was his job - he moved what looked like a rheostat and it would control the speed of the elevator - up or down. He had to line up the floor and then opened a little cage.
Why that sticks out in my mind from those days, I'll never know. But it does.
Dave B.
As of this afternoon, KPOO is (finally, after 2 weeks) back at full power.
This is one of the many callsigns concocted by Lorenzo Milam, co-founder. His other stations were KRAB Seattle, KBOO Portland, KDNA St Louis, KTAO Los Gatos, KUSP Santa Cruz and KDNA somewhere. All were spun off into separate unrelated organizations. Probably the most successful has been KBOO Portland, one of the few non-coms that owns its own building and has a very longterm transmitter lease.
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