Your LAST chance to save EcoTalk

Dear Friends of EcoTalk

“EcoTalk’s Inconvenient Truth":

If Green is the new Black why are we in the Red? 

The nearly three years of broadcasting our groundbreaking program on Air America have come with nearly constant turbulence. As the nation's first progressive network with ambitious expansion plans experienced growing pains, EcoTalk weathered them all - but not without significant cost. Selling advertising and partnerships was our only means to cover production costs and that task was made difficult for many reasons.

The program’s continuation has been possible largely through donation of my time and personal funds. Getting a primetime program dedicated to environmental issues on the national airwaves has not been easy, and we’d hate to lose this coveted slot simply due to a temporary cash shortfall. Especially as Americans are just now tuning into their environment!   

If Green is the new Black why are we in the Red? 

 

The short answer is bad luck! Since Air America does not pay EcoTalk for the program, we get five network spots to sell to cover costs.

In the first year we were put on early Sunday mornings and the new network was slow to provide audience info necessary for selling ads.

In the second year the network was charging EcoTalk $10,000 per month to air our show so breaking even was impossible.

In the third year Air America filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy – the same week we went to a daily format!!

  Consequently we’ve not been able to sell any spots during the 8 month transition to new network ownership.

At the same time production costs increased five-fold going from weekly to daily. With that new time slot we made broadcast history in September, becoming the first M-F program devoted to green issues. But now we risk becoming history!  

The Need/Opportunity 

The network’s new owners want to put only “political” programs on weekdays/nights so we’ve been offered a two-hour time slot Sunday mornings from 10-noon East. We envision a tree-free news magazine with a combination of news, views, trends and updates from regular contributors in green business, building, clean technology, transportation, organics, eco-spirituality, etc.

The network is saving this slot for us but we can only go forward on May 21st if we raise $60-thousand to cover costs during June, July and August.

The only way we can continue broadcasting through this transition period – the month of May – and retain our spot on more than 40 stations, is with immediate donations and advertising commitments while we resume selling sponsorships and get back on track.

Strategically, it’s important to retain our platform to expand to new distribution outlets. We have always had our sights set beyond Air America. New avenues of syndication have opened up, including satellite and podcasting. 

So at this crucial fork in the road to sustainability, we respectfully request your contributions, commitment to share this appeal with your circle, and any leads on companies or green groups that would like to support the nation’s only green show while promoting their products or programs.

Our bare bones production costs are $2,500 per week.

Please see a summary of what this "gasroots" program has achieved with so little fuel.

We have chronicled, and hope helped to catalyze, the eco-evolution and would like to continue to serve that role. Keeping EcoTalk afloat will lift all green boats, allowing the spotlight to remain on those on the front lines of climate change, renewable energy, green building, clean tech, waste reduction solutions and beyond.

For more than three years EcoTalk has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to showcasing the important work of so many environmental heroes, and to highlight what’s working.

Both EcoTalk listeners and guests will feel the void if we go silent so please act now, before it really is too late.   

  In the last few weeks we’ve had Senators John Kerry and Barbara Boxer on the program, as well as Lt. Governor John Garamendi  and retired Congressman Pete Mcloskey. In addition to green leaning politicians, we spoke to an Oregon schoolteacher who’s being harassed for speaking frankly about ‘inconvenient’ environmental issues and the whistle-blowing Environmental Working Group getting a government contractor fired for being on the payroll of chemical companies. We have been reporting on the mysterious disappearance of bees - and inexplicable ‘killing’ of electric cars - long before the general media picked up these stories! 

Finally, on a personal note, I have traveled across the country covering key environmental events, often the only mainstream journalist present for gatherings like the Sundance Mayor’s Conference on Climate Change, AASHE Conference (sustainability in higher ed) and being trained by Al Gore in communicating global warming science.

I have appeared on Hannity and Colmes several times to refute personal attacks on Gore, and the day after Glen Beck mocked global warming science on CNN, we had Paul Waldman of Media Matters on EcoTalk to debunk the debunkers! 

Does it bother you that right wingers like Hannity, Limbaugh and Scarborough are making hundreds of millions of dollars a year generating heat while a show like EcoTalk that aims to shed light, make a difference AND entertain is struggling? If so then here is your chance to make a real difference!! 

Please take a moment to consider the caliber of guests and range of current, compelling topics and voices EcoTalk brings to the airwaves.

There is no other program like this and it’s unlikely there'll be another one soon.

Before this nonrenewable resource disappears, please consider all of the above.

Time is short so if you can help please use the PayPal option on our website now, or send checks of any amount to: 

EcoTalk, P.O. 29025, San Francisco, Ca. 94129.

If you have good leads to green companies, orgs, or angels, pls. call or e-mail me today – timing is key here!!   

With deep gratitude and commitment to carry on if the support is there, 

Betsy Rosenberg, Host/Ex. Prod. and the EcoTalk Team

www.ecotalk.net   betsy@ecotalk.net or (415) 717-4183

Comments

I think this is a great idea. Why don't you get michael moore or rosie O'donut to give you money?

[Mary Carroll]

Times are really tough for me right now but I enjoy your website and have listened to your program many times and I really loved it. So I am sending what I can for now. I hope that when things get better I can do more. Keep up the good work and thank you for all you do.

[Erik Brooks]

Ecotalk is excellent and my favorite show on Air America by far. I think you have to think much bigger. Murdoch has said that he is turning his News Corp empire "green" last week. Maybe he could be enticed to start an environmental program or even better a whole cable channel with you! Beyond that maybe you could approach Laurie David who helped fund and produce "Inconvenient Truth" for some funds. Keep up the good work! Please.

[Susan K]

How about the Sundance Channel? But I'm sure you've thought of this... Oh boy, I listen to your podcast every day. This can't be happening!

How about trying podcasting by subscription : $3000 a week divided by even just 3000 listeners is $4 bucks a month for each of us, not huge...Have you thought through that option?

Joe Frank does that.
You have far and away the best show on radio.
I noticed an Exxon-Mobil ad on Air America recently, I wonder what the connection is..................