2008 ACE Awards - On-Air Fundraising 
Winners: 
and 
KCRW, Santa Monica - Jennifer Ferro, Program Director - Listen
WGLT, Normal - Mike McCurdy, Program Director - Listen
Honorable Mention: 
WSHU, Fairfield - George Lombardi, General Manager - Listen
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Judges Comments: KCRW
What was your overall impression of the entry?
Love these. Engaging stories, just the right amount of station history. Deeply personal and all focused on how they can make the station better for the audience. Some of the spots are too “artist-centric”.
Very focused on what they wanted the listener to do. Kudos for using iconic voices from the past though not all listeners will know Tom Schnabel.
What are its greatest strengths?
Personal, direct story telling. Mostly about the audience and the experience of listening to the station. The value of programming is front and center.
This is the first one to direct listeners to the web for additional content and to give. Connects with the listener and gives compelling reasons why they should give, how they can give.
What can others learn from this entry?
Personal stories have power when they make a point – what’s in it for the listener when they make a pledge.
The importance of being concise and thoughtful with message. Good to remind listeners of a difficult time made batter by what the station provides. Speaks directly to the individual as they reflect on the incident; where they were, what they were doing and the role KCRW played throughout the ordeal.
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Judges Comments: WGLT
What was your overall impression of the entry?
Super high production values – matches the quality of public radio programming. Honest and authentic.
This is good! All 4 spots featured were well done and truly spoke to what listeners value (at the core) about the blues and the station. Music was the star…not any particular announcer or program. The listener testimonials were very strong, and very real. Nearly all spots spoke to not just the listener’s passion for the music, but the station’s (and it’s hosts) passion as well. Amazing case messages. The use of music just made it that much stronger. I was “wowed” and entertained.
Music and production. Heartfelt testimonial of talent.
What are its greatest strengths?
Direct and authentic – clearly communicates the power of the music and the value of the station.
Strengths are that the station took great care to make the music the very center of every message. WGLT also produced these pieces utilizing the music in a way that was meaningful to the testimonial, but also to anyone else listening. The samples used in the David King piece about Robert Johnson could not have been any more compelling. I also think the use of the FULL song following the actual testimonial is a great idea and something new (to me). It makes it feel and sound more like programming than fundraising. Well done.
Sincerity and appeal of talent.
What can others learn from this entry?
Trust your listeners to tell great stories – then edit and produce them ruthlessly.
Making the music the star with real voices and great editing can make for compelling, entertaining and very good radio! Spend the time and make it good.
Members can make effective advocates.
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Judges Comments: : WSHU
What was your overall impression of the entry?
Simple and powerful. All really strong, except for the funky edit and pacing of the Ofabia spot. Is she that much of a “signature” personality. Not much of a sense of place. DeFord spot assumes familiarity and use that may not be there.
What WSHU edited down into spots was very good! They captured a lot of the basic core values language – “respect, engaging, passionate, why.” They used real listeners and real voices yet they didn’t just throw anything on the air – it was edited and carefully produced to help make an impact. The anecdotes were all good ones; some were funny, or fun, or amusing in their own way. Nice work.
Valuable, well-spoken, advocates for station within the membership ranks. Wonderful words that would be as effective, if scripted.
What are its greatest strengths?
Great use of honest, human voices that celebrate the value of the full schedule.
The fact that most of these (the listener testimonials) were mostly “stories” about their own experiences with WSHU. A public radio (and NPR) signature is it’s storytelling and these were good stories. We compare the price of public radio support to cable all the time – but this was refreshing and a better way to say it. They guy with the portable radio probably reminds us all of someone. The honeymooners is one for the memory books and the older couple was just charming (that was Fred Newman, right?). So part of the strength in these spots is the variety and the ability to stick to the message.
Original, unscripted, testimonials from members.
What can others learn from this entry?
Take the time required to make killer testimonials. Recruit more people then you need, and edit mercilessly.
Let listeners say what they want to (following your guided set of questions) and use the best stuff. This may mean recording a lot and perhaps not using all of it, but if you take the time to let your most devoted fans and supporters say it themselves, the core values will come naturally!
Real from real people can be very powerful.