hey everybody. i normally don't do this but i feel this is really for a good cause and the solution is cheap cheap cheap...
i know many of you listen to This American Life, recount the stories to other people, laugh at it, laugh with it, get all excited when there's a new episode. of course, not living in the US, the only way we can get the podcast is via the internet, and it turns out the cost of streaming the TAL podcast is huge. NPR is a non-profit and the recession is hitting the organization really hard. they may have to cancel the podcast if they don't raise 150 000 bucks. they've already laid off people. things seem kinda bleak.
apparently, there are close to 200 000 listeners to TAL, and next to none of them give any money. if each of them gave $1 (ONE DOLLAR!! THAT'S IT!) this whole bandwidth situation would be solved. i really, really, love this show and i think it's worth it to toss them some dough around christmastime. the amount can be anything, there's a fill-in-your own amount slot at the donation page. if you can spare even $5, please consider giving it to TAL so we can continue listening to Ira Glass and Johnathan Goldstein and David Rakoff and David Sedaris and Starlee Klien and the host of other folks who have kept us company on the radio for the past while. there's nothing else like TAL out there, so please please please help keep it going!
giving dosh to TAL is easy, just click on this link and use your credit card. the next time you find yourself doubled up laughing at something david sedaris just said, you'll be thanking yourself, and i'll be thanking YOU.
https://secure2.convio.net/wbez/site/Donation2?2740.donation=form1&df_id=2740&JServSessionIdr006=vyehe48z35.app20a
xoxo
vikki
(see below for NPR's email to me)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ira Glassadio.org>
Date: Fri, Dec 26, 2008 at 3:54 PM
Subject: This American Life's podcast
To: vikki@veekee.ca
This American Life Store: conf_signature_image
Hello,
Ira Glass here. I hope you'll forgive this mass email. I'm writing to you because you've donated money to This American Life in the past, and I'm hoping that you might do it again today. As I've been mentioning on our podcasts, our home station, Chicago Public Radio, like all non-profits, is struggling in the current economy. It faces a $1.5 million dollar deficit. A dozen of our colleagues were laid off.
Which brings me to our podcast. It costs Chicago Public Radio over $150,000 each year just for the Internet bandwidth to get you our free podcast and free streaming of our show. They don't need to make a profit on the podcast but they can't afford to have it cost them money. It would be horrible if they had to lay off more of our friends and co-workers so we could have a free podcast. So I'm turning to you again to ask for your help in covering that cost. Whatever you can afford, $1, $5, or if you're still doing well in this economy, $20 or $100. Here's the link to do that.
Or - even better - if you know someone who listens all the time to our show but who - unlike you - has never donated, get them to pitch in for the first time. I know it's kind of lousy that I'm coming to you for a second donation when most people who hear our show never give anything at all. Let's fix that! Forward this email to them. If we can get more people to donate, we won't need to turn to you as often.
Thanks,
Ira
i know many of you listen to This American Life, recount the stories to other people, laugh at it, laugh with it, get all excited when there's a new episode. of course, not living in the US, the only way we can get the podcast is via the internet, and it turns out the cost of streaming the TAL podcast is huge. NPR is a non-profit and the recession is hitting the organization really hard. they may have to cancel the podcast if they don't raise 150 000 bucks. they've already laid off people. things seem kinda bleak.
apparently, there are close to 200 000 listeners to TAL, and next to none of them give any money. if each of them gave $1 (ONE DOLLAR!! THAT'S IT!) this whole bandwidth situation would be solved. i really, really, love this show and i think it's worth it to toss them some dough around christmastime. the amount can be anything, there's a fill-in-your own amount slot at the donation page. if you can spare even $5, please consider giving it to TAL so we can continue listening to Ira Glass and Johnathan Goldstein and David Rakoff and David Sedaris and Starlee Klien and the host of other folks who have kept us company on the radio for the past while. there's nothing else like TAL out there, so please please please help keep it going!
giving dosh to TAL is easy, just click on this link and use your credit card. the next time you find yourself doubled up laughing at something david sedaris just said, you'll be thanking yourself, and i'll be thanking YOU.
https://secure2.convio.net
xoxo
vikki
(see below for NPR's email to me)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ira Glass
Date: Fri, Dec 26, 2008 at 3:54 PM
Subject: This American Life's podcast
To: vikki@veekee.ca
This American Life Store: conf_signature_image
Hello,
Ira Glass here. I hope you'll forgive this mass email. I'm writing to you because you've donated money to This American Life in the past, and I'm hoping that you might do it again today. As I've been mentioning on our podcasts, our home station, Chicago Public Radio, like all non-profits, is struggling in the current economy. It faces a $1.5 million dollar deficit. A dozen of our colleagues were laid off.
Which brings me to our podcast. It costs Chicago Public Radio over $150,000 each year just for the Internet bandwidth to get you our free podcast and free streaming of our show. They don't need to make a profit on the podcast but they can't afford to have it cost them money. It would be horrible if they had to lay off more of our friends and co-workers so we could have a free podcast. So I'm turning to you again to ask for your help in covering that cost. Whatever you can afford, $1, $5, or if you're still doing well in this economy, $20 or $100. Here's the link to do that.
Or - even better - if you know someone who listens all the time to our show but who - unlike you - has never donated, get them to pitch in for the first time. I know it's kind of lousy that I'm coming to you for a second donation when most people who hear our show never give anything at all. Let's fix that! Forward this email to them. If we can get more people to donate, we won't need to turn to you as often.
Thanks,
Ira
