Underwriting

ABOUT UNDERWRITING

Understanding Underwriting
Underwriting is the name the FCC has given to announcements acknowledging public radio's supporters from the business community. Although listener contributions remain the single largest source of KCRW's funding, they have not kept up with the growing expenses of running a radio station in the second largest radio market in the world. Without underwriting, KCRW would be forced to hold a third on-air fundraiser.

Sounds of Silence
While the commercial "breaks" on L.A. radio have become longer and longer, underwriting announcements on KCRW have become 25% shorter. Each announcement is now limited to only 15 seconds, and there are never more than six local "credits" per hour - that's a minute and a half per hour as compared to more than 10 minutes of ads often heard per hour on commercial stations. Paid public service announcements for nonprofits such as performing arts organizations and schools remain just 30 seconds.

KCRW has also cut the time for station program promotion by 50% by reducing these spots from 30 seconds to mostly just 15 seconds. We've also slashed the time allocated to fundraising spots designed to support our direct mail campaigns. Previously these spots ran one minute. Now they're 30 seconds.

No Interruptions
KCRW does not interrupt its news and information programs for underwriting announcements!

Except for on-air fund drives, regular programming is not pre-empted for non-program material. Program breaks are provided by NPR and PRI, usually four per hour. Hourly station identification announcements are required by the FCC. Our underwriting policy on local music programs prohibits interruptions during discreet music sets or in-studio concerts and interviews.

Please Support Our Underwriters
Both the for-profit and non-profit organizations whose messages you hear are critical to KCRW’s continued survival.  We encourage you to patronize them when you need the products and services they provide.

More is Less
So, yes, you are hearing the names of more underwriters than ever. But you're hearing shorter announcements, and you're experiencing one less subscription drive! So there is more reason to support KCRW underwriters than ever before.

WAYS OF SUPPORTING KCRW
KCRW raises the bulk of its operating budget from the station s 55,000+ subscribers through twice-annual on-air fundraisers. The remainder comes from a variety of organizations including corporations and non-profits who support the station in a variety of ways. Thanks to them, we don t have to go on-air a third time.

Below you’ll find an overview of the ways KCRW works with organizations in the community. Are you interested in finding out more? Please contact David Kleinbart in KCRW’s Development Department.

BUSINESS CIRCLE SUPPORTERS
Organizations who join KCRW s Business Circle do so with an annual fixed contribution, which entitles them to (1x) weekly name acknowledgement on-air for one year and (1x) daily name acknowledgement during the first Pledge Drive after they join the Business Circle.

UNDERWRITING
The most effective way to create an on-air presence, underwriting enables your organization to reach KCRW listeners and KCRW.com visitors regularly. Your 15-second message airs on KCRW and all its full-time simulcasts, including online, broadcast and digital cable. It may include information about your company’s products or services and may include a web address, street address or phone number. Schedule length and number of announcements reflect level of financial commitment and placement of the messages. Run of schedule placement is Monday-Sunday 5am-12midnight. Narrowed times of day and even specific programs may be requested at a premium. Underwriters support KCRW with annual contributions of $3,000 to $300,000 or more. All schedules are subject to availability.

KCRW.COM SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
KCRW.com banners exist in various sizes and formats, including flash animated .swf.  Placements include run of site rotations and specific pages, with both unlimited and geo-targeted exposure.  Pre-roll welcome ads are available for all live streams and on-demand archives, combining visual banners and audio messages on KCRW’s Media Player.  KCRW podcasts offer pre-roll sponsorship opportunities, while KCRW eNewsletters may include static sponsor banners.  All sponsorship opportunities are subject to availability. 

SPECIAL EVENT SPONSORSHIPS
When KCRW hosts events throughout the community, the station’s listeners and supporters enjoy an opportunity to meet and greet each other and KCRW personalities. Your organization can capitalize on this good will by underwriting KCRW special events, such as Good Food Live; Left, Right & Center Live; Masquerade; KCRW Sessions. Sponsorships generally run $5,000 to $35,000 or more and offer multi-platform promotional exposure.

ON-AIR TICKET GIVEAWAYS
KCRW gives away tickets to performing arts and other events many times each day. Ticket providers contribute 5-pair blocks of tickets. In exchange, they receive on-air promotion. Opportunities are limited. Please contact Mary Chellamy (mary.chellamy@kcrw.org) for more information.

FRINGE BENEFITS
Nearly 1,000 merchants and organizations participate in this member discount program created to reward KCRW supporters. These organizations offer incentives to Fringe Benefits cardholders – usually discounts of 15% or more, 2-for-1 offers or other inducements – with no program costs to the business other than the discount they provide. The Fringe Benefits program places providers in front of the dynamic and dedicated audience of KCRW, creating a valuable branding and promotion tool. Please contact Laura Shumate (laura.shumate@kcrw.org) at KCRW for more information.

PLEDGE DRIVE PROMOTIONS
When KCRW goes on-air in August and February to raise money for its annual operating budget, more than 600 local businesses contribute premiums ranging in value from $50 to $5000, and receive promotional consideration commensurate with their donation. These businesses consider KCRW Pledge Drive Promotions an invaluable way to increase awareness while supporting a vital public resource. Please contact Laura Shumate (laura.shumate@kcrw.org) at KCRW for more information.

PLEDGE DRIVE CHALLENGEG GRANTS
Your organization or business may challenge KCRW listeners to support the station during its twice annual pledge drives by providing Challenge Grants to air during prime commuter hours. Your company will generate corporate good will as it gives back to the community. Challenge Grant providers contribute $3,000 to $20,000 per pledge drive.

KCRW Corporate & Community Supporters
KCRW thanks the following corporate, non-profit and foundation funders for their support. We encourage you to patronize our corporate & non-profit underwriters and write the station's foundation funders to thank them!

Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences
Air France
All Roads Film Project
Alschuler Grossman LLP
American Cinematheque
American Film Institute
American Lung Association
Amoeba Music
Bill Silva Presents
Boeing Company
Boffi-Los Angeles
Bowers Museum
Bradco Kitchens & Baths
Brewery Art Association
CA African American Museum
CA Institute of the Arts/REDCAT
California Society of Certified Public Accountants
Capitol Records
Carpenter Performing Arts Center
CBIZ
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Center Theatre Group
Childrens Hospital Orange County
City National Bank
City of Hope
City of Santa Monica
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Greater Los Angeles
CSULB Extension
Dance at the Music Center
David Bohnett Foundation
Discovery Channel
Du Vin Wine & Spirits
Eco Gift 2008
E-Loan
Film Independent
First Independent Films
Flex Your Power
Focus Features
Fowler Museum
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Frank Lloyd Gallery
Geffen Playhouse
Getty Center
Glendale Memorial Hospital
Grand Performances
Gray Matter FX
Greenberg Glusker
Griffith Observatory
Grove of Anaheim
Hammer Museum
HBO Films
Holland & Knight LLP
Hollywood Entertainment District
Hotel Bel Air
Houghton Mifflin
House of Blues Concerts
IFC Films
Irvine Barclay Theatre
Italian Film Commission
Jack Rutberg Fine Arts
Jetsetter Productions
John Randolph Haynes and Dora Haynes Foundation
Kidspace Children's Museum
Lions Gate
Lannan Foundation
Little Brown
Live Nation
Long Beach Symphony Orchestra
Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
Los Angeles County Bar & Lawyer Referral & Information Services
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Los Angeles Fashion District
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Loyola Marymount University Extension
Luckman Fine Arts Complex
Maloney Vision Institute
Mercedes-Benz Dealers of Southern California
Merrill Lynch
Milano Foundation for Foodchain Records
Miramax Films
MOCA
Morphosis
Mount St. Mary's College
Nathan Cummings Foundation
Museum of Latin American Art
Nederlander
New Line Home Entertainment
Opera Pacific
Orange County Museum of Art
Orange County Performing Arts
O'Shaughnessy Foundation
Palm Pictures
Pantages Theatre
Paramount Classics
Pasadena Playhouse
Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology
Philharmonic Society of Orange County
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Providence Health System
Prudential John Aaroe Charitable Foundation
Real Pie Media
Renaissance School for Arts and Sciences
Robert Berman Gallery
Roland Tseng College of Extended Learning at Cal State University
Roth Family Foundation
Rutter Hobbs & Davidoff
Samuel Goldwyn Films
Santa Monica Auctions
Santa Monica Festival
Santa Monica Museum of Art
Shea Homes
simplehuman
Skirball Cultural Center
Smithsonian's National Zoo, Friends of the National Zoo and Fujifilm USA
Sony Music
Sony Pictures Classics
South Coast Repertory Theatre
Southern California Lexus Dealers
St. Vincent Medical Center
Sundance Film Festival
The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
The Los Angeles Music Center
Tracy Do and Michael Slater, Prudential California Realty
TreePeople
TroyGould Attorneys
Turner Classic Movies
UCLA Extension
UCLA Live
United Artists Pictures
Universal Pictures
USA Network
USC Spectrum
Venice Family Clinic
Verizon Amphitheater
VISA
Vistamar School
Voce
Warner Bros.
The Weinstein Company
Wilshire Theatre
WNET