WYSU meets fundraising goal

YOUNGSTOWN — Local public radio station WYSU-88.5 FM surpassed its $130,000 fundraising goal today. The final total of $132,617 came from 1,083 listeners.

WYSU made history by reaching its goal for the first time without significantly interrupting programs, which has been the traditional public radio fundraising model. Director of broadcasting Gary Sexton said the idea was to raise more funds, while dedicating fewer hours on air to fundraising appeals.

“We decided to try a fund drive that didn’t interrupt programming and it worked!” Sexton said. “Our listeners missed no part of any of our network or local programs, as we increased our very necessary member support.”

The $130,000 goal was set much higher than goals set for drives in the recent past in order to offset cuts mandated by the university this fiscal year, Sexton said.