WUNC is now running one of its periodic attempts - usually successful for them - to raise a lot of money by suggesting that someone who gives money to the station might win a trip to some interesting place. Those trips are paid, by the way, mostly by contributions from others. Look at the financials on the website to see the chilling details.
Recently they have said things like a WUNC supporter AND CONTRIBUTOR (their emphasis) will win this or that trip. Previously, they had bent over fairly backwards to emphasise as I think the law requires that no contribution was needed in order to enter. Just call and your name goes into the hat or whatever they use to do these drawings. Wouldn't it be nice how that works?
But what strikes me as really troubling is the innovation this drive to try to entice people to become sustainers and to have money contributed automatically every month. That's great for the station, I imagine.
What bothers me is that you only get the promised participation in every drawing if you become a "sustainer" and therefore if you contribute money. Whether this runs afoul of the law, I am not sure. It does seem pretty clear to me that they are coming close to doing so, and in the process depriving people who want a trip but cannot or choose not to contribute of a similar "every drawing" opportunity.
Money "pays" even for a public radio station.
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