KSJE Begins Membership Drive: "Keepin' the Beacon!"

The radio station, known as the Information and Cultural Beacon of the Four Corners, began broadcasting in November 1990.  In July 2016 it embarked on a new listener-supported business model as a way to become more self-sufficient and less reliant on the San Juan College budget. This past spring, the College Board approved the concept, and the college administration approved a policy change allowing KSJE to directly ask listeners for financial support by way of memberships. The board tasked KSJE 90.9FM with raising two-thirds of the radio station’s operating budget, or $150,000, by June

San Juan College public radio station KSJE 90.9FM kicked off their first membership drive Tuesday night with a presentation to the San Juan College Board of Trustees, provided by KSJE General Manager Scott Michlin.

The radio station, known as the Information and Cultural Beacon of the Four Corners, began broadcasting in November 1990.  In July 2016 it embarked on a new listener-supported business model as a way to become more self-sufficient and less reliant on the San Juan College budget.

This past spring, the College Board approved the concept, and the college administration approved a policy change allowing KSJE to directly ask listeners for financial support by way of memberships.

The board tasked KSJE 90.9FM with raising two-thirds of the radio station’s operating budget, or $150,000, by June 30, 2017.

Michlin reported that the radio station has begun the “Keepin’ the Beacon” campaign and taken several positive steps to raise the visibility and public awareness of KSJE to assist in asking for and obtaining more public support.  These include:

• Forming and implementing the KSJE Advisory Board this summer.  The 17-member volunteer board determined that the group’s primary goal would be to assist KSJE 90.9FM in generating memberships toward the radio station’s $150,000 goal.
• Redesigning the station’s website, www.KSJE.com, to allow listeners the ability to provide membership donations via PayPal, a secure, online payment system. 
• Initiating a collaborative effort with the San Juan College Bookstore to design and stock “thank you” gifts for KSJE members and residents who want to purchase KSJE-branded items, such as water bottles, t-shirts and baseball caps.
• Working with the San Juan College payroll department to offer payroll deductions to San Juan College employees who want to support KSJE.
• Expanding KSJE listening opportunities. KSJE’s on-air signal already is heard outside on the San Juan College campus on Fridays.  Soon, it will also be heard inside Mary’s Kitchen, the San Juan College cafeteria. Work is underway to install 13 speakers and necessary wiring.
• Working with San Juan College’s Information Technology Center to install a surplus flat panel display near the radio station’s studios on campus to promote KSJE programming and memberships.  The monitor also will stream KSJE’s on-air audio.

Michlin also informed the board that KSJE was officially notified that the radio station has been accepted into the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s (CPB) Community Service Grant program.  This program supports financially stable public radio stations throughout the country.  KSJE is designated as a rural and minority serving station, and will receive a base grant of $72,408 each year, for the next two years.  This grant will greatly support the work KSJE does serving as the Information and Cultural Beacon of the Four Corners.

For more information about KSJE or listener supported opportunities, contact KSJE.90.9 at: 505-566-3517 or via the website at www.KSJE.com/support.