It’s that time again! Since Sunday, local public radio station WAMU has been in fundraising mode. Of course, when when an NPR affiliate hits up its listeners for cash, you will quickly notice that Morning Edition segments are broken up by Matt McCleskey chatting up station manager Caryn Mathes, or that StoryCorps appears 10 minutes later than usual, or that Marketplace Money Report is axed altogether.
Given the extra-long station breaks which have cluttered your favorite programs over the last week or so, you may feel compelled to give a little. But, as this is public broadcasting, one does not simply make a donation without getting some kind of station-branded tschotske in return. Though we sincerely hope you’ll donate our pals at WAMU out of your sheer appreciation for radio gems like The Kojo Nnamdi Show, The Animal House, and Armando Trull’s baritone voice, we thought we’d grade the crop of gifts offered to particularly generous donators. (We’ve done it in the past.) The campaign wraps up today, so you still have plenty of time to donate! So, let’s go through what’s in the offing this go-around, and see if you can’t be persuaded to make a donation so that Diane Rehm can finally bring on Maxie as a permanent co-host. As always, the quality of all items will be measured in Kojos.
Gift: Mug with WAMU 88.5 and Bluegrass Country Logos
Donation Required: $60
Pros: It’s a fine addition to your collection of mismatched collection of mugs sporting company brands. Also, with every swig, you’ll remind the person sitting across from you that WAMU also operates a fine station devoted to the best in bluegrass music.
Cons: For $60, you should be able to customize the mug. Bluegrass Country is great, but what if you want a mug from The Big Broadcast?
Grade: 0.4 Kojos
Gift: Kojo Nnamdi Show Lunch Tote (includes Flat Kojo)
Donation Required: $88.50
Pros: Includes Flat Kojo!
Cons: The combination of public broadcasting and tote bags is kind of a cliché, no? Still, Flat Kojo can liven up even the lamest gift.
Grade: 4 Kojos (bag = 0.5 Kojos, Flat Kojo = 3.5 Kojo)
Gift: The Diane Rehm Show USB Drive
Donation Required: $120
Pros: Rehm has selected some of the best moments in the 30 years she’s been doing the show, including interviews with some truly momentous authors, politicians, and other newsmakers.
Cons: Rehm sometimes over-relies on boring guests, like David Brooks.
Grade: 1 Kojo if it includes last year’s show in which Kenny Rogers sang along to himself. If not, 0.5 Kojos.
Gift: This American Life: “Invisible Made Visible” Live Event DVD
Donation Required: $120
Pros: Everybody loves this hipster anthropology project, right? And this DVD, pulled from a 2009 live special, includes appearances by David Sedaris, Tig Notaro, David Rakoff, Glynn Washington, and Terry Gross, all of whom are awesome.
Cons: Not native to WAMU. Also, retails for $16 in the This American Life store.
Grade: 0.3 Kojos
Gift: WAMU MemberCard
Donation Required: $120
Pros: Give $120 or more, and this discount card is automatically included in your gift package. Cardholders get discounts at 250 local restaurants, 7,500 around the United States, and at area bed-and-breakfasts and outlet stores. Presumably, there is some kind of guidebook included that lists all the participating merchants.
Cons: Only the nerd factor.
Grade: 2 Kojos
Gift: Travel Mug
Donation Required: $150
Pros: It’s bigger, sturdier, and more portable than the ceramic mug. But instead of splitting its real estate with Bluegrass Country, this beverage holder features the WAMU logo along with that of NPR.
Cons: The asparagus color on the acrylic band is a little sickly.
Grade: 1.5 Kojos
Gift: The Kojo Nnamdi Show Lunch Tote and The Diane Rehm Show USB Drive (includes Flat Kojo)
Donation Required: $180
Pros: If you need something to carry around your Diane Rehm flash drive, why not use your WAMU-branded lunch sack. Also, Flat Kojo!
Cons: The combination of these two items is, however, a bit predictable.
Grade: 4.5 Kojos (Diane Rehm flash drive = 0.5 Kojos, lunch tote = 0.5 Kojos, Flat Kojo = 3.5 Kojos)
Gift: Shower Radio
Donation Required: $240
Pros: For the devoted WAMU listener, the longest part of any morning are those minutes between the end of Garrison Keillor’s The Writer’s Almanac and the 7 a.m. NPR newscast. Why? Because you’re in the shower missing whatever’s happening on the radio! Are Steve Inskeep and Renée Montagne on a good riff with the 6:45 a.m. segment? Is Armando Trull Trull-busting his way across town? You can’t know if you don’t listen.
Cons: The device’s manufacturer is not listed. There might be better shower radio’s available.
Grade: 1.5 Kojos
Gift: Day Membership
Donation Required: $720
Pros: WAMU’s studio hosts will read your personalized message three times during the course of one day. It can done as a gift, too. Just imagine McCleskey greeting listeners with something like, “Good morning. You’re listening to WAMU, listener-supported American University radio. It’s 7:26, and Austermuhle rocks. Now let’s go Jerry Edwards with the traffic.” Awesome.
Cons: No business messages, so even if you buy this for Martin, you can’t plug his long-term plans for a full-service bike shop that also serves fondue.
Grade: 1 Kojo; 100 Kojos if you buy this and get them to say DCist is the best
Gift: Leadership Circle Membership
Donation Required: $1,200
Pros: This is the public-radio version of airline platinum status. You get direct access to station leaders, and invites to a parties with the station’s managers and on-air personalities, along with a day membership and a private tour of the station. See it while it lasts, WAMU is moving soon!)
Cons: Only if you embarrass yourself at the station party.
Grade: 2 Kojos
Gift: Internet Radio
Donation Required: $1,200
Pros: Hmm. For $1,200, you could get nice access to WAMU. Then again, you could get this radio, which appears to be a Grace Digital Innovator X, and picks up terrestrial and Internet broadcasts.
Cons: My parents have something like this, and tuning to Internet radio stations can be a real pain in the ass. Also, if you really need this device, it retails for around $100. If you’re going to give $1,200 to a public radio station, get the personal access
Grade: 0.6 Kojos
