Public radio station KMST at Missouri University of Science and Technology finished its nine-day fall membership drive on Sunday, Sept. 19, with the addition of 80 new members. The drive received 375 pledges, falling short of its goal of 450.

“We are encouraged that we obtained 80 new members and that we experienced a significant increase in the number of online subscribers coming from our newly redesigned website,” says General Manager Wayne Bledsoe. “The future of KMST lies with its growth in new members and a greater utilization of our online services.”

Bledsoe says KMST will continue its fall membership campaign with direct mailings to longtime members that didn’t respond during the drive. “Although the goal was not met during the on-air portion of the campaign, we’re confident that with a little more time and effort we will reach the goal,” he adds.
KMST obtained new and renewing members from south-central Missouri as well as Internet listeners from Alaska, Illinois, Colorado, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas and Montana.

“These are listeners who understand the important role they play as partners in public radio,” Bledsoe says. “This partnership is essential to KMST’s ability to serve listeners here in our local region, as well as listeners worldwide, with the best public radio possible.”

In addition to financial support, KMST gained valuable information from its members about programming and the Internet services provided by the station. Bledsoe says the input is vital to the station’s ongoing effort to enhance its role as a leader in diverse programming on public radio.

KMST is increasingly dependent upon private financial support to cover the cost of its programming. Member support and underwriting make up almost 40 percent of KMST’s budget. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Missouri S&T are the other two largest supporters of the station.

In addition to membership support, KMST receives financial assistance from more than 50 businesses that underwrite programming. The station also receives support from its Community Advisory Board and dozens of volunteers who provide a variety of services throughout the year.

KMST is a 100,000-watt non-commercial public radio station licensed to the Curators of the University of Missouri. The station offers a mixed format of news from National Public Radio, nationally and locally produced talk shows, and a wide range of music, including classical, jazz, acoustic folk, blues, big band, Celtic, bluegrass and Caribbean. KMST broadcasts its signal from 88.5 FM in Rolla and 96.3 FM in Lebanon, and live-streams its programs worldwide at www.kmst.org.