How does 91.3 WHIL spend money
and where does the money come from ???

Programming Costs

Public Radio.done well. is a costly proposition.

We buy programming from three basic vendors, NPR (National Public Radio), PRI (Public Radio International),  and APM (American Public Media)

(Per Program Costs)

A Prairie Home Companion - $17,000

Fresh Air - $10,000

Wait ,Wait Don't Tell Me- $3500

Cart Talk - $12,000

Morning Edition $37,000

All Things Considered $23,000

Bob Edwards $3000

From the Top $3000

We pay about $190,000 total each year to NPR, PRI and APM

Our purchased programming costs alone.for Fiscal year 2009 $160,000.

There are four basic sources of funding for Public Radio:

• Listeners who we turn into MEMBERS via those on air fundraisers and mailings.91.3 WHIL attracts over 42,000 listeners in any given week.
• Local Underwriting whereby businesses both large and small partner with WHIL and receive non-commercial sponsorship credit messages to enhance or create awareness on air.
• Community project sponsorships. (like our Junior League of Mobile sponsored, Classics in the Classroom Series which gives area children their first opportunity to have a meaningful experience with live musical instruments up close and personal)
• CPB/CSG Corporation for Public Broadcasting Community Service Grant CPB is a quasi governmental organization that distributes funds to local stations Based on NFFS Non Federal Financial Support, meaning the more you raise locally the bigger your CPB Grant.

• Other Grants sourced locally, regionally or nationally, generated given for specific initiatives Like the generous grant we received locally from the Sybil H. Smith Charitable Trust, The Bedsole Foundation, The Delchamps Foundation, the Clyde C Snyder Fund, The Junior League of Mobile and the Larkins Music Foundations.

CPB dollars are allocated by Congress in a two year advance funding process.

The President makes a recommendation to Congress the House and Senate Appropriations Committees slice and dice it, and it comes out on the back end a lot smaller than it went in.

The President's recommended funding levels for CPB for FY 2012 is $502 million.. for ALL of Public Broadcasting  TV AND Radio and that includes a lot of special project money.

The CPB Community Service Grant is unrestricted money and can be used for whatever is necessary.but they also have other funds for specific technical projects as well like the conversion of local stations to HD (High Definition) digital broadcasting and narrowcasting.

Those are generally done on a 'matching grant' basis. In other words, CPB will help you, but you have to raise at least as much money locally for your project.

CPB money is part of the Labor, Health and Human Services appropriations bill which was $154 Billion dollars this year.