Ultra106.5fm is a community radio station (as opposed to a public broadcaster, like the ABC, or a commercial station, who runs to make a profit). We are a not-for-profit organisation, which means any money we make goes back into helping us serve Southern Tasmania even better, and we rely on a combination of community support and businesses sponsorship in order to operate.
Who are station sponsors?
Our “station sponsors” are local businesses who pay to have their businesses promoted on-air. We are limited by the rules of community broadcasting to playing no more than five minutes of sponsorship spots per hour. We also make sure we choose sponsors for our station that we would be happy for our own families to purchase from.
What about Radiothons?
Although our listeners make donations through out the year there are two main times in the year when we put the call out for financial support, June and November. At these times we hold an on air appeal called a Radiothon. Radiothons are community radio’s main way of raising funds. We’re completely serious when we say that ultra106.5fm wouldn’t exist without the support of you, our listeners. And, because we’re a not-for-profit organisation all donations over $2 are tax deductible.
Where does the money go?
Radio stations, like every business, have regular overhead expenses like rent, electricity, the need for equipment upgrades, and purchasing new music to play on-air. We also have a number of paid staff members, who work hard to provide great programming, and increase our service to the community. Great programs cost money, and your support makes it possible to continue to provide great programs to our listeners.
What about all these crazy events? Where do you get the money for those?
From time to time we do something completely out of the box, like building the world’s biggest balloon sculpture—the Wiggles’ Big Red Car. Events like these are fantastic, they’re a lot of fun for everyone, and they help build a sense of community (one of our core values), as well as raising awareness and exposure for the station. Generally, when we run events like this, we approach businesses to help us by sponsoring the event. Greater community exposure means more listeners. More listeners mean more people we can serve.
Could I donate?
Yes! We’d love you to donate. Anything over $2 is tax deductible, and we’ll sent you out a receipt. We’d also love to encourage you to think and pray about becoming a monthly supporter (the minimum contribution here is $15 per month). Click here to make a donation. Thank you!