Classical music lovers step up for KUSC-FM

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Despite a sagging economy and a recent lightning strike that wound up reducing the station’s power, classical music station KUSC-FM (91.5) had its second-most-successful membership drive ever this month, President Brenda Barnes said today.

KUSC raised $1.24 million in its winter on-air fund-raising campaign between Feb. 4 and Feb. 13, a figure Barnes said came from a record-setting 8,691 donations. That haul trailed only the fall membership drive in 2007, Barnes said, when KUSC received $1.35 million from 8,618 donations.

Barnes acknowledged that she and some of her colleagues initially thought a lightning strike that hit the station’s transmission line and antenna on Jan. 25 would hurt fundraising efforts. Many listeners couldn’t hear KUSC’s musical offerings for several days and the initial repairs restored the signal to only 95% power.

Instead, however, the event proved helpful, she said, explaining that many people reported feeling compelled to make a donation.

‘It served as a clear example of what life would be like without KUSC,’ Barnes said. ‘We didn’t plan it. It was truly an act of God, but it just worked out that way.’

General Manager Eric DeWeese said KUSC will begin installing a new transmission line Friday and should be at full power by Saturday.

-- Mark Medina