Radio station calls on listeners

The phones are ringing and the callers are freely giving their money away.

This week LifeFM began its annual fundraising appeal to continue broadcasting to its 33 frequencies across the country.

The Christian radio station based in Auckland is different to other radio stations for reasons beyond its religious views.

Unique to the station is its reliance on donations for 80 per cent of its operational costs.

For the 2017 appeal, the fundraising target is $250,000.

Chris Price is the head of marketing and development at Rhema Media, LifeFM’s parent organisation. He said the appeal was a good way to engage the station’s loyal audience and get them involved.

“It’s a great way for them to take ownership of the station,” Mr Price said.

Now in its 20^th year, Mr Price credited the station’s survival to a number of factors.

“First of all, there’s the God-factor,” Mr Price said. “He’s enabled LifeFM to expand.”

“Having quite a niche audience who have been engaged in supporting the radio station” has also contributed.

“It helps being part of a bigger media organisation (Rhema Media) so there’s shared resources across the different radio platforms.”

Although listener donations have sustained the station for almost 20 years without fail, there are difficulties.

“Cashflow is always hand to mouth so there’s never a great [amount of] cash reserves to call on,” Mr Price said.

Not only does the station rely on listeners for financial support, those who operate the phones during the appeal do so without payment.

Robert Wong is one such volunteer who said “I just like to do my bit.”

“I just come in one evening [from] six o’clock to the end, so that’s my contribution,” Mr Wong said.

During that time, he is busy taking phone calls from people all over the country who are wanting to pledge their support.

He believes the station’s listeners come back year after year because of the positive message in the music.

Dr Matt Mollgaard, a senior lecturer for radio at AUT University, said the station had managed to develop a solid income stream through donations.

“They will be around as long as the Christian audience is big enough, donations are big enough and they don’t have to hand back the frequencies,” Dr Mollgaard said.

But for the station, their main focus is far from money-related.

“Our return isn’t financial. Our return is in changed lives,” Mr Price said.

With one day left in the appeal, listener donations have reached in excess of $180,000.