Needs
The total costs to operate WNZR on a day-to-day basis over a 12 month period normally amount to about $110,000. This does NOT include Joe and Marcy Rinehart's salaries. Marcy is a full-time staff member of Mount Vernon Nazarene University and Joe is a full-time faculty member.
The costs to operate the station include basics like electric at the studio and the transmitter site, telephone, paper, printing and photocopies. They also include our part-time office manager, student staff, made up of eight Leadership Team members, 4-6 summer staff members and students who fill in during holiday breaks.
Our costs include the contracting of the services of a digital radio engineer who helps us maintain FCC compliance. Those costs include our contracts with companies like the Associated Press news service, software providers, music licensing fees through ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC, and our online streaming music license fees. Our costs also include the travel and staffing of MVNU sports broadcasts you hear on WNZR.
And it also includes maintenance of the equipment we use to broadcast to Knox County 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.
And we can't do it without you!
Many people have asked why a university radio station has to raise funds. Don’t we receive a budget from MVNU? Absolutely! But that budget only covers about 45% of those expenses, allowing the station to provide a quality academic laboratory for students.
You see, WNZR and the radio broadcasting program are only one of a number of vital programs to MVNU and its broad liberal arts curriculum. Every program needs operating funds, so they are shared across campus.
Now, we could take that budget and simply do the basics to get by. But WNZR's desire is to go beyond being a typical college radio station and be a ministry to the community. We want our students to experience a real, everyday application of fulfilling MVNU's mission: shaping lives by educating with an emphasis on Christ-likeness, learning and service. We also feel this approach is the best way for our students to learn the skills they need to be relevant communicators in a world that needs the good news of Jesus Christ!
So...people and resources are needed to accomplish this goal.
Consider that if WNZR had a staff of just 4 full time people, their salaries and benefits alone would easily top the $100,000 mark.
Our goal is to be good stewards of MVNU's support, sponsor support, and listener support.
And with your response to Lifeline fundraisers over the years, you've sent us a STRONG message: keep doing what you're doing! But we need your continued partnership!
Because of YOU, over the last 15 years, we have been able to grow pledged listener support from $4,600 in 1996 to nearly $60,000 last year!
Because of YOU, we were able to purchase the equipment and gain the license to begin and maintain online streaming!
Because of YOU, we were able to update and renovate our on-air studio in 2005. This was a $31,000 project!
Because of YOU, we were able to purchase new sports broadcast equipment, allowing us to broadcast both men's and women's games on-air and online.
Because of YOU, we are able to hire a summer staff that keeps WNZR strong and active even when classes aren't in session... covering Knox County's summer events like the Danville/Howard Turkey Festival, the 4th of July, Knox County Fair, the Dan Emmett Music and Arts Festival and the Fredericktown Tomato Show.
Because of YOU, we are able to employ students each year to serve on our Leadership Team, working part-time around their studies to gain valuable experience while furthering the outreach of WNZR.
Because of YOU, we have reached a goal of purchasing and outfitting a
station van (Big Blue) to allow us to increase and improve our remote broadcasts!
Because of YOU, we were able to replace all the station's music and archiving computers in the summer and fall of 2010. This has to be done every 5-7 years.
AND…because of YOU, we were able to gain permission and licensing from the FCC to increase our broadcast signal, and purchase the equipment necessary for this upgrade free and clear of interest payments! This became official May 21, 2010.
SO, WHAT ARE THE NEEDS FOR 2011 AND BEYOND???
1. Financial support of our WNZR Student leadership team during the school year (approximately $24,000). This includes students on The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive.
2. Financial support of our WNZR break and summer staff
(about $2,000 for breaks, and $12,000 for summer)
COST: commitment to student staffing: $38,000
3. 50% of the salary for our part-time office manager, Nikki Greene. The hiring of this position has allowed Marcy to focus more on the programming and underwriting responsibilities at the station, and dramatically reduce her overtime hours. COST: $6,000
4. The addition of a second air conditioning unit at the transmitter site. This purchase will reduce the wear and tear on the first unit, and allow it to have a backup in case the first one fails or needs maintenance. COST: $4,000
5. The purchase of a second remote mixer for sports and other remote broadcasts. The original mixer, now serving as a backup, is over 11 years old and is due to be replaced. COST: $1,000
6. Purchase of a wireless microphone system to use on remote broadcasts. COST: $1,000
7. Development and hosting costs for a 'smart phone' application that will allow people to hear WNZR on their mobile device. COST: $4,000
8. Online streaming fees. COST: $1,000
9. Two other dreams are to begin raising the initial funds to start offering academic scholarships for broadcast students at MVNU, and raising funds to commission a research project that would track radio listening in Knox County and allow us to get a better understanding of our listening audience.
SO...
Student staff salaries $38,000
Office manager % salary $ 6,000
Air conditioning unit $ 4,000
Remote sports mixer $ 1,000
Wireless mic $ 1,000
Smart phone 'app' development $ 4,000
Online streaming fees $ 1,000
Scholarship and research projects $ 5,000
TOTAL $60,000
Last year, over $57,000 was pledged to Lifeline 2010.
With your support, we can continue to reach our community with the awesome message of Christ and His love! Thank you for all you have done to support WNZR through prayer and finances.