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Remedy.fm, a Christian-based Internet station that broadcasts uplifting music and messages to teens, is looking to remedy a pending financial crisis.
In recent weeks, station officials have been approaching potential sources of large donations to keep the station operating after Jan. 31.
The fund drive came after the Fort Wayne-based station’s non-profit parent, Taylor University Broadcasting Inc., voted in September "that we needed to find new financial partners by Jan. 31 or close," Remedy founder Char Binkley said.
"So now we are all over the nation talking to potential partners as well as talking to people here in Fort Wayne," she said.
Binkley stressed that Remedy has not been abandoned by either Taylor Broadcasting or its parent, Taylor University, which gave the station a $300,000 donation for operating expenses. Taylor Broadcasting provided funds to help Remedy, she said.
But the station, like many non-profit and church-related organizations, has been hit hard by the recession, Binkley said.
Remedy began with a gift from the American Bible Society and seven $50,000 donations in October 2007.
The station planned to broaden its donor base but did not have time before the crash, officials said.
And as a new non-profit, Remedy has no endowment to fall back on.
"As people who gave saw their (investment) portfolios go down, they don’t have the money to give, and not only have they lost money in their portfolios, they don’t know what’s around the corner," Binkley said. "Many, many non-profits are running 30 (percent) to 50 percent behind in donations."
Remedy does not accept advertising or solicit donations from its teen listeners or their parents. It’s also not affiliated with any church or denomination.
The station must pay to secure space called bandwidth for its broadcasts and must pay staff, rent and other expenses, said Clinton Faupel, an ordained pastor in the Missionary Church who is station director. It has three full-time and eight part-time employees, he said.
The station broadcasts from a first-floor storefront at 327 E. Wayne St. at Wayne and Lafayette streets. The building was recently listed for sale or rent because it lost its second-floor tenant, said David Nugent, listing agent and partner in BND Commercial Real Estate in Fort Wayne.
Faupel said it can be an uphill battle to have potential donors understand what the station is and does.
"One of the things the Christian community has not gotten on board with is using the Internet as a ministry tool," he says.
"This teen generation, all they know is the Internet. … We have to be doing education to grown-ups to get them to understand."
Remedy.fm broadcasts can be heard online at its Web site, www.remedy.fm. Teens often listen to the station while doing other things on the computer, such as playing games or doing homework, Faupel said. Remedy is also accessible on iPhones.
The station also has listener-interactive programs that deal with serious issues for youth, including suicide, addiction, cutting, sexuality, abuse, the effects of divorce and stress.
Teens can ask DJs for help by phone, texting or instant messaging. The Web site also contains video clips of programs.
The station has used computer tracking to document listeners in 99 countries and all 50 states, Faupel said. The largest concentration of listeners is in Indiana and surrounding states, and the site registered its 1 millionth unique visitor in May, he said.
The station has sponsored concerts, a summer outreach program in inner-city parks, and a rally encouraging sexual purity. Staff members also have spoken on teen issues at area schools.
Binkley, who said she is not at liberty to provide financial details, said the station developed a prospectus for potential donors and has some substantial gifts from local people in hand.
Possible solutions to the financial crisis include several large donations from individuals or organizations; partnering with a university or a national ministry; or some combination of both, she said.
"There’s a ton of interest," Binkley said.
Faupel estimates that about 50 individuals and organizations have been contacted.
"We were doing real well before the recession crashed. We raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in a few months," he said.
"I believe that what Remedy has to offer is a one-of-a kind thing. … We would hope that the community of Fort Wayne and Allen County would rally around us and choose to keep Remedy.fm alive."
