Fund Drive Information

Why are we doing this?

At WBGU-FM, we constantly work through volunteer commitments to help provide our listeners with superior alternative programming. By playing large amounts of very diverse genres of music, we work to provide you, the listener, with the absolute best in independent, underground, and under-represented music.

In the past, we have often solely relied upon the University for financial support. However, with the rising costs of equipment, licensing fees, and operating costs, it is now necessary to reach out to the community and ask for help. More specifically, we need to raise funds in order to convert our current analog signal into digital broadcasting signal, which is being recommended of all radio stations by the FCC. The current deadline for all Television stations, to make this conversion is 2009. WBGU-FM realizes that a similar situation may be in the works for all radio stations in the USA once the television deadline is met. In order to make this conversion, WBGU-FM will need to purchase a new digital audio board as well as a new digital transmitter. The total cost ends up at around $130,000. While these costs are negligible to large, commercial radio stations, they are prohibitive for small ones like ours.

While the costs are burdensome, digital broadcasting will have definite advantages for you, the listener. First off, our signal will no longer be able to stretch a mere 20 miles, but will instead stretch well over 100 miles, reaching all of Toledo, Ann Arbor, Detroit, Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. Also, the quality of the signal will also be vastly improved. Finally, digital broadcasts will allow WBGU-FM to have multiple bands to simultaneously offer multiple sources of programming (i.e. there would be a "WBGU-1", "WBGU-2", "WBGU-3", etc.). For more information about Digital radio, you can visit iBiquity

At WBGU-FM, we want to strive to be able to offer our listeners this digital option as soon as possible. We would like to be the first college radio station in the region to make this conversion.

Therefore, we are turning to you, the listener, again for support. We're asking for tax-deductible, monetary donations via check, money order, cash, or credit card. We would love to see your generous support again!