December 19, 2023 - 12:11 pm

Dear Friends and Supporters of KBCS,

It won’t be long now before we celebrate the arrival of a new year and bid farewell to 2023. This is a friendly reminder that you have until midnight on December 31st to make a tax-deductible contribution to KBCS on your 2023 tax return.

Donations from KBCS listeners make up the largest part of our yearly operating budget. In fact, well over 80% of our budget is comprised of donations from our supporters who contribute what they can afford to keep this fifty-year tradition of democracy in action on the air. As the General Manager of KBCS, I assure you that the programming on this public radio station will not be tailored to meet a desirable marketing demographic. That marketing focus is for commercial radio stations and not noncommercial educational radio stations like KBCS.

At the core of our mission is a promise to provide programming that serves the underserved segments of our community that are not necessarily served by commercial radio. The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 includes this provision: “… it is in the public interest to encourage the development of programming that involves creative risks and that addresses the needs of unserved and underserved audiences, particularly children and minorities.” Now, that sounds clear to me and has always been a guiding light since my first job in public radio as a college student reporter in the mid-1970s.

Over the years I have worked in both commercial and noncommercial radio, and I know the difference between the two. Today, it can be difficult to discern that important distinction when listening to some public radio stations. I am a “hard news” advocate and have never been a fan of “happy talk” news. At KBCS, you are going to hear a lot of news stories that do not have a happy conclusion.

That is why I am proud to work at KBCS and why I urge you to support our educational and cultural mission with as generous a donation that you can afford.

In addition to our local news reporting with a social justice focus, I am also proud of our eclectic mix of music programming. Our music programming features the musical traditions of many diverse cultures and ethnicities that make up life’s colorful mosaic in our beautiful little corner of the world. I am also pleased that we continue to seek out even more diverse music program offerings that feature local community volunteers and student interns who produce and host most of our music programs. That is what community radio is all about. It has always been about diversity and inclusiveness, which are not just “talking points” around here.

Please make an end of the year donation to KBCS at whatever amount fits your budget. Some listeners can afford to give a little more than others but no donation to KBCS is too small. When added together they make the magic happen at KBCS and support our never-ending quest for continuous improvement in all that we do.

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for the coming New Year to all our friends and neighbors here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and to those streaming online everywhere at kbcs.fm

Dana Buckingham

General Manager and Proud Sustaining contributor to true Community Radio KBCS.