The Fundamental Flaw of Pledge Drives

No, it's not that everyone hates them. Everyone who works in public radio knows everyone hates them. We suspect pledge drives resemble democracy -- they're the worst form of public radio fundraising except for all those others that have been tried.

No, the fundamental flaw of pledge drives is this: When we call and make our pledge, we desperately want the people on the radio to shut up and go back to playing music or Car Talk or whatever they're supposed to be playing.

Do they shut up? No. They yammer. They can't shut up right away, because they still need x-thousand more dollars and x-hundred people to call.

We were driving home the other day, trying to listen to KEXP. They're in the middle of their thrice-annual pledge drive. And instead of music, we heard eight minutes of begging: Blah blah blah we love our listeners blah blah blah make it all possible blah blah blah hood-to-hood challenge blah blah blah over-the-top testimonial blah blah blah tote bag.

We timed it, flipping back and forth between KEXP and KUOW, thinking they couldn't possibly still be blathering on about how great they are and how much they need your money -- but the torrent of words did not abate.

If you listen to KEXP, they deserve your money. We have no quarrel with that. We give them our money. But for the love of God, we want them to shut up. Get off your butts and pledge so that those poor rambling DJs can shut up and play some New Pornographers or Arcade Fire or Ms. Led or something.