Fifteen years ago, KMUW was using enough tape, cassettes and computers that could last nearly a lifetime. But nowadays, the technology at Wichita State’s radio news station is in need of more constant attention.

That’s where the KMUW biannual pledge drive steps in.

Twice a year, listeners and donors can go online to pledge their support for the station. The spring drive kicked off Thursday and is scheduled to end Saturday, April 20. This year’s goal? $300,000.

“It’s what we want to do if we want to keep the level of programming we have now,” general manager Mark McCain said.

This year’s pledge goal is not unusual, he said, but it is necessary to keep a studio up and running daily. Funds from the pledge drive go toward staff pay, the cost of national programs, like ones from National Public Radio and other production costs. But it is replacement costs for studio equipment that McCain said really put a dent in the wallet.

“It’s just an ongoing process there it seems like,” he said. “You can’t buy something and it will last for 15 years.”

New audio boards, microphones, satellite gear and updates for office or production computers are just a handful of the costs that pile up.

In addition, local, state and national funding has been on the decline. While members of the program contribute about 40 percent of the station’s total yearly funds, state broadcasting corporations are a huge help to KMUW’s funding. 

But since 2008, the Kansas Public Broadcasting Council—a state agency that helps fund TV and radio broadcasts—has reduced their funding to KMUW by about 65 percent.

Gov. Sam Brownback, in the first year of his administration, zeroed out KMUW’s funds from the state government. Since then, some has been done to reallocate money back into the program, but it just hasn’t been the same, McCain said.

Federal funds come from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which is about 11 percent of KMUW’s yearly intake. 

“But as we’re growing as a station locally, that kind of money is not keeping up,” McCain said.

On Sunday, the radio station was about $145,000 away from reaching their $300,000 goal. Word is getting out through the Twitter hashtag #IsupportKMUW, and donors can send money and messages of support online at kmuw.org.