WDAV 89.9FM serves the community even better because of how we responded to the challenges of COVID-19.
Dublin Core
Title
WDAV 89.9FM serves the community even better because of how we responded to the challenges of COVID-19.
Description
WDAV 89.9FM discovered that we’re nimble, resilient, & embrace change.
Creator
Jay Ahuja
Contributor
Staff
Date Created
04/26/2023
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
When the pandemic hit, WDAV 89.9 FM didn't panic.
We quickly set up our on-air hosts with the ability to do their shows from home.
We re-imagined pledge drives without volunteers, answered phone calls at home through our computers, and input donations via the Web.
We didn't cut staff, but station leadership made sure we did everything we could to take care of our audience and help our clients.
We wrote off contracts for campaigns that had already run, because those events were eventually cancelled and there were no ticket revenues.
We allowed clients to walk away from campaigns they had agreed to without penalty, because of the uncertainty around peoples' willingness to shop, dine, or attend events.
We realized that we needed to diversify our underwriting support.
While revenue from performing arts clients declined, investment firms, lawyers, doctors, insurance agencies, and home improvement providers are now more robust underwriting categories.
We added free spots to campaigns for our clients who were not in performing arts.
We ran free eNewsletter ads for those same clients.
Sometimes, more than once.
We encouraged clients to add their outdoor events to our free online event calendar.
In short, we looked out for our clients' best interests.
Now, slowly but surely, they came back.
We heard from our listeners, through adoring emails that, now more than ever, they count on us to serve as an oasis from today’s political rancor.
And, our audience has never been larger or more appreciative.
It just goes to show, it's always the right time to do the right thing.
We quickly set up our on-air hosts with the ability to do their shows from home.
We re-imagined pledge drives without volunteers, answered phone calls at home through our computers, and input donations via the Web.
We didn't cut staff, but station leadership made sure we did everything we could to take care of our audience and help our clients.
We wrote off contracts for campaigns that had already run, because those events were eventually cancelled and there were no ticket revenues.
We allowed clients to walk away from campaigns they had agreed to without penalty, because of the uncertainty around peoples' willingness to shop, dine, or attend events.
We realized that we needed to diversify our underwriting support.
While revenue from performing arts clients declined, investment firms, lawyers, doctors, insurance agencies, and home improvement providers are now more robust underwriting categories.
We added free spots to campaigns for our clients who were not in performing arts.
We ran free eNewsletter ads for those same clients.
Sometimes, more than once.
We encouraged clients to add their outdoor events to our free online event calendar.
In short, we looked out for our clients' best interests.
Now, slowly but surely, they came back.
We heard from our listeners, through adoring emails that, now more than ever, they count on us to serve as an oasis from today’s political rancor.
And, our audience has never been larger or more appreciative.
It just goes to show, it's always the right time to do the right thing.
Citation
jaahuja, “WDAV 89.9FM serves the community even better because of how we responded to the challenges of COVID-19.,” (Re)Collecting COVID-19: Davidson & Lake Norman Stories, accessed September 20, 2024, https://test.davidsonarchivesandspecialcollections.org/items/show/49.