I'd Like to Ask a Favor

Update: I just heard that thanks to you, almost $4,000 was raised during my show's hour. For comparison this was four times as much as the show that preceded mine. Thank you very much. I will continue to work hard to earn your support. 

This morning (Sunday, May 19) from 11 am to noon, Pacific time, on my KALW-FM (NPR-San Francisco) radio program, Work with Marty Nemko, on which I try to help people with their worklife,  I'll ask listeners to donate money to the radio station.

I get none of the money but the amount I collect during my hour is used as an indicator of how many people listen to my show, the strength of their support for the show and, in turn, whether my show should stay on the air.

As in most public radio donation drives, I offer thank-you gifts for giving during my hour:

• If you donate $75, you get an autographed copy of my book, How to Do Life: What they didn't teach you in school.   

• For $150 or $250 for a couple, you get to come to the studio on June 30 to watch the show and then have brunch with my wife and frequent co-conspirator on the show, Barbara Nemko, as well as with fellow donors. We've done these brunches before and they are a networking opportunity, a chance to offer input on my show, and oh yes, people find it quite fun. A number of people have come more than once. It's limited to just a dozen people.

It is a bit ironic for me to ask you to donate to KALW. After all, the station mainly presents leftist views and I so value diversity of ideology. And I wouldn't choose to listen to most of the music played on the station. But I do care to keep doing my program, soooh, there you go. At least I'm asking in a way that I believe is devoid of the hype that too often characterizes money-raising efforts.

Oh and, of course, most of the show today is not spent asking for money. I'm committed to keeping the requests brief. The hour focuses on Barbara and me talking about how to get cured of excessively  interrupting people---one of my many failings.

Whether during or after the show, it's easy to donate. Just call 1-800-525-9917 or go to www.kalw.org.  As I said, I get none of the money. It's just a way to help keep my show on the air and more important, to support public radio. Whether you're donating during my show or afterwards, I would appreciate your mentioning that you're donating to support Work with Marty Nemko. 

Whether or not you donate, I hope you'll listen this morning from 11 am to noon. You can hear it on 91.7 FM in San Francisco, or anywhere on the world right here on your computer at www.kalw.org from 11 am to noon, Pacific time.