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Underwriting

WFHB is a non-commercial community radio station supported by contributions and NOT advertising. When you make a business contribution, your support is acknowledged on air; this is called “underwriting”.

Underwriting will enhance your image as a participant in and supporter of the community. Establish a top-of-mind awareness with listeners and discriminating community minded consumers and decision-makers. WFHB is a non-profit station, which means your underwriting support is tax deductible. Your philanthropic dollars demonstrate your support of a valued community asset. Your clients, employees and prospective employees will appreciate the active and vital role your business plays.

Rates
Option 1 – $15.00 Flat or Standard rate per mention
Option 2 – $13.50 (10% discount) Pre-paid Contract OR Contract for one year with at least 100 mentions
Option 3 – $12.00 (20% discount) Prepaid contract for one year with at least 100 mentions

To Become an Underwriter
Contact WFHB’s Development Director, Brooke Turpin, at [email protected]

CURRENT UNDERWRITERS
Backspace Gallery
Bikesmiths Bicycle Shop
Bloomingfoods
Brown County Inn
Buskirk-Chumley Theatre
Christopher J. Holly, Attorney-at-law
Constellation Stage
Drift Botanicals
Hopscotch
Juniper Art Gallery
Landlocked Music
Lennie’s
Loren Wood Builders
Mann Plumbing/MPI Solar
Monroe County History Museum
Morgensterns Cafe & Bookstore
NeedMore Coffee
Our Brown County Magazine
Ryder Magazine
Small Favors
The Orbit Room

PAST UNDERWRITERS
Bloom Magazine
Bunger & Robertson
Cardinal Stage
German American Bank
Granfalloon
IU Arts & Humanities Council
In Case of Emergency Press
Monroe County Casa
Time & Tide Tattoo
Visit Bloomington
Whole Sun Designs

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ABOUT UNDERWRITING

 

Is underwriting just basically advertising? At a glance, the two seem very similar, however, there are some very distinctive differences. When a business pays for advertising, they are promoting their business, services, and products to encourage listeners to purchase. Underwriting messages are an acknowledgement for contribution. Essentially, underwriting is a way for a non-profit radio station to publicly acknowledge a donation from a for-profit business which is actually required by the FCC. However the FCC also mandates that these acknowledgements may not promote any of the services, facilities, or products of the for-profit underwriter, express the views of any person with respect to any matter of public importance or interest, or support or oppose any candidate for political office. 

What can an underwriting message include? The FCC outlines the information that can be included as follows: Name, Address, telephone number, and/or website, brand or trade name of the sponsor’s product or service, value-neutral descriptions of products or services, non-promotional slogan, historical information, such as the length of time the sponsor’s establishment has served the area.

My business has won awards in the past for service. Can you announce my business as ‘award-winning’? Unfortunately, that is prohibited. Acknowledgements may not contain comparative or qualitative language or  language that tends to distinguish the sponsor from its competitors. Here are some examples of language that the FCC found to be ‘promotional’ in nature. 

  • Efficient
  • Economical
  • Dependable
  • Dedicated
  • Prompt
  • Fair price
  • Reliable
  • Excellent
  • Leading
  • Award-winning
  • Board-certified

We have specials every Tuesday night at the restaurant, can we mention that in our announcements? Unfortunately, no. Acknowledgements may not contain price information or words like “happy hour,” “ladies night,” “best buy,” “clearance,” and “special.”

Can my on-air announcement include telling listeners to visit our website or call for more information about our products? No, however, we can include your website address in the announcement, but it cannot be in the form of a ‘call to action’. A call to action is a command that the listener do something that leads to a purchase. Acknowledgements may not contain inducements to buy, sell, or lease. The acknowledgement can say, “More information can be found at www….” but it cannot say “To buy tickets visit www….”.

Here is a comprehensive list of what the FCC outlines that underwriting acknowledgments may not include:

  • Value statements and subjective language (comfortable, convenient, elegant, helpful, reliable, safe).
  • Reference to price or value, or any inducement to purchase (affordable, free, low-cost, special offer).
  • Superlatives and qualitative language (largest, oldest, award-winning).
  • Calls to action (stop by, visit, call, sign up).
  • First-person pronouns (you, we, our) as messages are read live or recorded as live by VPR hosts/announcers.
  • Unnecessary repetition of the business name.
  • Language that is intended to sway public opinion.