Become a Business Underwriter

WTIP’s signal reaches thousands of listeners that live, visit and/or recreate along the North Shore from Two Harbors to Thunder Bay, and across Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. WTIP also reaches thousands of online listeners from all over Minnesota and beyond who stay connected to the North Shore through WTIP. As an underwriter of WTIP’s programming, you can reach a targeted audience while demonstrating support for independent community radio.

For more information, please reach out to Katie Belanger: katie@wtip.org

Please read on for the reasons to underwrite with WTIP:

WTIP: A Station Worth Supporting

WTIP provides essential services to thousands of people:

• We provide entertainment
• We give a voice to area residents
• We provide emergency services, including NOAA weather alerts and timely emergency information
• We connect people of different ages, backgrounds ad geographic locations

Over the next year, WTIP plans to continue to maintain and increase our services, focusing on:

• Outreach
• Local programming
• News and public affairs programming

Our efforts continue to welcome new listeners and strengthen our relationships. With the support of Underwriters, WTIP will continue to grow and expand our services while maintaining our integrity and commitment to high quality programming.

Demographics

WTIP’s signal reaches thousands of listeners that live, visit and/or recreate along the North Shore from Thunder Bay to Two Harbors, and across Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. WTIP also reaches thousands of listeners who listen online from all over Minnesota and beyond to stay connected to the North Shore. As an underwriter of WTIP’s programming, you can reach a targeted audience while demonstrating support for independent community radio.

WHO WTIP Reaches

• Residents, visitors and those wishing to stay connected to the North Shore recognize WTIP as the source of local weather, information and entertainment.
• WTIP’s membership has doubled over the past three years to over 800 households. Each membership typically represents more than one person and because only 10% of public radio listeners support their local radio station, WTIP estimates having 8,000 to 10,000 listeners.
• WTIP is averaging 52,000 online listeners annually (37% are from the Twin Cities area).

WHY underwriting is effective

• Over 90% of WTIP listeners respond positively to underwriting messages (over 50% say they actually enjoy learning about the underwriter’s business or organization).
• 71% of WTIP listeners say they are more likely to patronize a business because they are a WTIP underwriter.

All of this means that Underwriting on WTIP is not only an excellent way to support an important community service, but it is also an important tool for remaining in the forefront of the minds of local residents, tourists and potential visitors.

Benefits of Underwriting

Underwriting is a smart, effective use of marketing, promotion, or public relations dollars for long-term positioning and top-of-mind awareness. You’ll reach desirable demographics, heighten public awareness, and help cultivate a positive image through your association with WTIP’s well-regarded programming.

As a WTIP underwriter, you will:

Receive effective marketing
National studies have shown that listeners not only have a more positive image of a business that underwrites on public radio; they are also more likely to purchase services from that company. WTIP’s listeners confirm this finding: over 70% say they are more likely to patronize a business because they are a WTIP underwriter.

Reach an attentive audience
Compared to commercial radio, public radio has fewer and shorter breaks, which reduces clutter and allows your message to reach the audience. Studies confirm that listeners pay more attention to an underwriting credit on public radio than they do to an advertisement on commercial radio. Over 90% of WTIP’s listeners say they respond positively to underwriting messages.

Benefit from the Halo Effect
When your messages align with WTIP’s programming values, simply by being on the air you will achieve what we know as the “halo effect.” This halo effect creates the ultimate connection between you and WTIP’s listeners.

Receive online identification
In addition to on-air messages, underwriters are listed on the WTIP web page.

Earn tax-deductions
Underwriting can provide a significant tax break for an underwriter.
As an Underwriter you will join over 90+ businesses in supporting local programming that offers listeners local and regional news, information regarding area events and activities, emergency announcements, local sports coverage and a variety of music.