Ruth Seymour fans, time to crank up the KCRW. It's pledge drive time, beginning Friday morning, and general manager Seymour will be back on the air again, pushing for donations.
We pledge every August -- but don't do it haphazardly. There's an art to getting a gift certificate that's roughly equal to the money spent, as well as an extra gift like a Newsweek subscription.
But it's actually getting harder, as there are fewer under $100 premiums. And if they do pop up, the station isn't necessarily offering a bonus prize at the same second.
From last year, here's my guide to pledging KCRW:
Under KCRW's new computerized pledge system, phone line volunteers can't offer you a premium unless it has been mentioned on air -- and you may be waiting a while for the DJs to mention a $50 premium. What's more, the free "bonus premiums" -- think subscriptions to Newsweek or Los Angeles magazine, or gift certificates to places like Baja Fresh -- only pop up every once in a while.
It's even more rare for both opportunities to pop up at the same time. I spent a good deal of the weekend phoning the KCRW volunteers and asking them (a) If a free bonus premium was available at the moment and (b) if any $50 premiums were available beyond the standard single CD.
I came close several times: Saturday afternoon, KCRW was offering a $50 gift certificate for Jody Maroni sausage (for a $50 pledge! not bad), but the only bonus premium was a year's subscription to "Wine Spectator" magazine. Sunday morning, the station was offering a $50 gift certificate to Storyopolis children's book store -- but no bonus premium.
Finally, at 4:55 -- right at the end of "The A-Track" -- I hit gold. Not only was KCRW offering a year's subscription to Newsweek as a bonus premium (which I have now scored for the past three years), but for $50, I landed dinner for two at California Canteen.
That's how you do it. You're actually coming out ahead if you go for the gusto and wait for everything.
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