Public radio station KMST at Missouri University of Science and Technology will begin its Fall Membership Drive at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11, with its popular bluegrass program, “Bluegrass for a Saturday Night.” The drive runs through the following Sunday, Sept. 19.

KMST’s goals for this fall campaign include 450 pledges from its members and a financial target of $70,000.

“Listener support is vital to the success of KMST; therefore, our goals for the Fall Membership Drive reflect our growing dependence on increased membership,” says KMST General Manager Wayne Bledsoe. “Private support now constitutes nearly 40 percent of KMST’s operating budget.

“We remain committed to the belief that public radio is a critical component of the cultural and intellectual fabric of south central Missouri, enhancing its reputation as a wonderful place to live,” he says. “Repeatedly we hear listeners comment that public radio is their preference for locally produced music shows and in-depth news and information, such as NPR’s award-winning ‘Morning Edition’ and ‘All Things Considered’.

“This year, we’re doing something very special for the military families that comprise a large portion of our listening audience,” Bledsoe continues. “For every military member that makes a pledge of support, Leach Theatre is offering two tickets to the members’ choice of five different theater events this season.”

During the KMST drive, pledges may be made by calling 573-341-4949 in the Rolla area, or toll-free at 888-776-5678. Listeners also may pledge online at KMST’s website, www.kmst.org. Premiums will be available for various levels of pledging.

KMST is a 100,000-watt non-commercial public radio station that relies on strong listener financial support to cover the cost of its programming and operations. Licensed to the Curators of the University of Missouri, KMST 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 is located at 88.5 FM in the Rolla area, 96.3 FM in Lebanon and online at www.kmst.org.