On-Air Underwriting

Rethink Your Ad Strategy

Businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic, and rebuilding your customer base can be difficult. Getting people in the door is hard when you no longer have the budget to advertise. Maybe WORT Community Radio can help.

Promotion With Purpose

Underwriting WORT programming is a great way to support the community. WORT is loved by more than 30,000 listeners in the southern Wisconsin area and beyond. We bring a unique mix of programming that serves many different communities. We have news and talk shows in English, Spanish, and Hmong languages, and shows serving both the BIPOC and LGBT communities. Our music shows make up 70% of our programming and are carefully crafted, digging deep into every musical genre you can imagine, giving the audience a truly unique experience lost by commercial radio and their automatic algorythms.

Award-Winning Programming

WORT is proud to be named as Madison’s Favorite Local Station year after year by both the Isthmus Faves and the Madison Area Music Awards (MAMAs). Our News Department also wins awards year after year in the Wisconsin Broadcaster Awards and the Milwaukee Press Club Awards for their compelling stories. WORT is a proving ground for future journalists who go on to have rewarding careers in broadcasting and journalism.

Committed to Local Business

WORT Community Radio has always been committed to strong relationships with the small business community. You will never hear corporate ads on WORT. We only accept underwriting from local businesses. The community decides our programming, not a corporate executive.

It’s Affordable!

Underwriting is extremely affordable compared to commercial radio or even print advertising. A weekly underwriting spot on the show of your choice is only $1,300 for an entire year. Add on a 10% prepayment discount and save even more. We can do long- or short-term contracts based on your needs and the frequency is up to you as well. The more spots purchased, the lower the rate. PLUS Donors are also listed below with a link to your site. In addition, by rotating your Underwriter Display Tile on every page of our website, we help you gain exposure to thousands of visitors who will see your business logo, and who can reach your website with a simple click.

For a detailed brochure with rate chart, contact Doug Holtz, Business Development Director, at wortbiz@wortfm.org or by calling (608) 256-2001.

FCC Underwriting Guidelines

Underwriting Acknowledgements may Include:

• Business/organization name
• Address, phone number and/or website
• Listing and value-neutral description of up to 3 products and/or services
• Business/organization’s special event info: date, time, location, and description
• Established, non-promotional business slogan

Underwriting acknowledgements must be 20 seconds or less in length. Underwriting acknowledgements may not include references to sales or prices; inducements; incentives; calls to action (“go to…”, “come on out…”); comparative language (better, best, more complete); quantitative language (most, largest, complete); or qualitative language (great, excellent, awesome).

The station will work with you directly to compose the message listeners will hear, and to choose the times and programs on which it will air. Note: WORT does not air any announcement more frequently than once every three hours. This maintains WORT’s intent to not sound like commercial or public radio.

Current WORT Underwriters Include

For more information on Business Underwriting, or other ways to support WORT and gain great exposure for your business (event sponsorships, gift certificate donations, pledge drive meal donations, etc.), contact Doug Holtz, Business Development Director, at wortbiz@wortfm.org or by calling (608) 256-2001.