Public radio station KMST’s annual fall membership drive will kick off with Cyber Week Sept. 7-13 on its website, kmst.org, followed by the station’s on-air portion of the membership drive, which will be held Sept. 14-22. The goal of the fall membership drive is $70,000.

Listeners who invest with KMST will receive a code that will allow them to listen to normal live-stream programming, bypassing the on-air portion of the fall membership drive’s announcements, interviews and pledge cases.

Station Manager Wayne Bledsoe says KMST’s members and listeners are community leaders that support the station because of what it brings to the cities and towns in its listening area.

“They are leaders not only in the physical communities we live in, but also the intellectual communities we share as listeners and supporters of public radio,” says Bledsoe. “Our communities care about each other and the larger world. They celebrate the arts and value people, their ideas, their inspirations and their aspirations,” he says.

With that in mind, Bledsoe asks members and listeners to support KMST by becoming a member of the station or increasing their financial support. “Your support today allows us to continue to bring you and thousands of others great radio every day,” he says. “Due to rising costs, I also respectfully ask you to consider increasing your support. Several of our current shows are doubling in cost this year and we must rely more and more on membership investment. It’s you, and members like you, that keep this wonderful public radio resource alive and growing,” says Bledsoe.

Visitors to the KMST website during Cyber Week may make a pledge and/or register for a Kindle Fire drawing (sponsored by Avalon Photography Studios). Those pledging during this time will also be entered into other drawings based on their level of investment. Drawings will be held during the on-air portion of the membership drive for an Apple iPad and a Bose Wave Radio (both sponsored by Public House Brewing Co.), and a family membership to The Centre (sponsored by The Centre).

Members and listeners may pledge online at kmst.org or call during the on-air membership drive at 573-341-4386 in the Rolla area, or toll-free at 888-776-5678.

In its 40th year of service, KMST is a 100,000-watt non-commercial public radio station licensed to the Curators of the University of Missouri System, with listeners from 47 states and 41 countries through its website. KMST is located at 88.5 FM in the Rolla area and 96.3 FM in Lebanon and online.