Let's talk about the greatest team project I have ever been involved with...the KBEM Upgrade-a-thon.  The on-air studio equipment was falling apart and a lighting strike to the studio console Memorial Day weekend in 2012 didn't help the situation.  The only parts we could find for the console were provided by a man in Alaska.  Mostly though, we were robbing Peter to pay Paul, within the console.  Stealing fuses and other parts to keep us on the air.

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Our General Manager, Michele Jansen, first went to deep pocket donors to raise funds for a studio upgrade.  Even though KBEM was licensed to Minneapolis Public Schools, MPS did not financially support the radio station. 

 

Donations came in but not nearly enough to get the studio upgrade off the ground.  We only had pledge drives twice per year, in spring and fall, and hated to interrupt programming for a third on-air fundraiser, but we needed the support of listeners.

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We were going to do a three day fundraiser over a weekend, but eventually decided to just do a blast fundraiser.  After days of brainstorming on exactly what we were going to do, we were inspired by the old Jerry Lewis telethons. 

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We decided to hold a 24-hour, live fundraiser with a major portion of the programming supported by local jazz artists in the Twin Cities.  However, to make the fundraiser effective, to create engagement with the audience and to hit our goal of $20,000, we needed a storyline.  We were again inspired, this time by DC Comics.  Our morning show host, Ed Jones, was our superhero UpgradeMan!  But he needed a nemesis...the Wally 300, which was the old, broken console in the on-air studio.  

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We wrote an entire script and produced elements to play throughout the 24-hours which were inserted between live performances.  It was a story, unfolding right before the audience.  We involved the listeners, urging them to join the fight to defeat the Wally 300!  Our students, who dubbed themselves the Mighty 88 (KBEM Jazz 88.5), answered phones and posted photos and videos to social media.  We created scripts and extended the story when they answered the phones which included verbiage such as "Thank you for joining the fight, this is Super Girl Natasha..."  and "Thank you for being a KBEM Super Hero!"  

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Check out some of the pieces and storylines.  If you're wondering if we ever made the $20,000 in 24-hours, the answer is yes.  With 15 minutes left we reached our goal.  There was crying, there was hugging, and we all realized we accomplished a feat no other radio station would dare to attempt.  Luckily for us, fortune favors the bold.

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