WBFO 88.7FM completes most successful pledge drive in station history

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- WBFO 88.7 FM, the University at Buffalo's NPR member station, today completed the most successful on-air fundraising drive in the station's 51-year history. The drive began last week with the popular "Super Thursday" matching pledge day, and the final pledges came in during the last hour of WBFO's Morning Edition with Bert Gambini at 9:59 a.m. today.

A total of 1,538 listeners from Western New York and Southern Ontario pledged their support during the week-long drive, and helped WBFO raise a total of $230,000 in annual operating funds. The previous high for an on-air fundraising drive was $200,000.

Mark Vogelzang, WBFO's general manager, said the station's "recent program changes -- based on our listeners' request for more NPR offerings -- were reinforced by all the positive comments that came in with listener pledges during the drive." WBFO's membership totals more than 7,000 people and is growing, he noted. Nearly 100,000 listeners in Western New York and Southern Ontario tune in to WBFO each week.

WBFO 88.7FM, a public service of the University at Buffalo, reaches an audience of almost 100,000 people through its main signal in Buffalo and through repeater stations WUBJ 88.1 FM in Jamestown and WOLN 91.3 FM in Olean. The WBFO news department offers comprehensive coverage of regional and worldwide news. The station also offers a depth of programming not available elsewhere in the community, including NPR/PRI news and entertainment programs, public and cultural affairs programming, and music.

For more information regarding WBFO, visit the station's Web site at http://www.wbfo.org.