Radio, TV draw in donations

Local media outlets are using their broadcasting signals to make sure last week's terrorist attacks are not forgotten. While some collect donations from a generous Corpus Christi public, others are doing their part to help the healing process in different ways.
   ABC affiliate KIII and its radio partner Rodriguez Communications collected $130,701 in donations Friday for the American Red Cross.
   "In my 32 years in Corpus Christi, I have never seen this type of outpouring," said Bob White, KIII general manager. "It is most amazing."
   "We're all pretty impressed by the show of support from Corpus Christi," said Luis Villarreal, vice president for Rodriguez Communications, the parent company to radio stations KRAD-FM/105.5, KOUL-FM/103.7, KLTG-FM/96.5 and KLHB-FM/98.3.
   Clear Channel Radio's Corpus Christi stations raised $58,000 on Friday for the American Red Cross and the police and firefighters in New York City and Washington, DC. All six Clear Channel stations - KNCN-FM/101.3, KMXR-FM/93.9, KRYS-FM/99.1, KRYS-AM/1360, KSAB-FM/99.9 and KUNO-AM/1400 - participated. www.clearchannel.com
   "This wasn't corporate money coming in," said Kent Cooper, regional vice president of Clear Channel in Corpus Christi. "This was the everyday guy. People driving cars that barely ran came in and gave us $200."
   Local memorial
   Many TV and radio stations donated airtime to help publicize blood drives and funds that were already in progress. Univision station KORO might plan a blood drive in the coming month near its downtown headquarters, and CBS affiliate KZTV has publicized the newly formed fund at www.libertyunites.com"Instead of organizing our own relief fund, we got behind several that have already gotten under way in town," said Jim Smith, general manager at NBC channel KRIS.
   But most uniquely, Smith has contacted the city about creating a permanent local memorial. Ideally, the city would donate a site and KRIS would make a sizable donation to kick off the fundraising process for a memorial - possibly a statue - to the victims who lost their lives Tuesday, Smith said.
   Smith said the city's initial reaction was very favorable, but it will be brought up in a meeting sometime this week.
   More cash donations
   Three of Pacific Broadcasting's stations - KKPN-FM/102.3, KPUS-FM/104.5 and KCCG-FM/107.3 - collected more than $7,000 in donations Thursday from the parking lot of Padre Staples Mall.
   "We didn't make a major appeal to corporations," said Rick Dames, president of Pacific Broadcasting. "We were appealing to everyday people, and I feel that our listeners responded."
   The Malkan Broadcasting Co.'s KZFM-FM/95.5 raised several thousands of dollars for the American Red Cross with a remote last Thursday from an American Bank location, according to Audrey Malkan, general manager at Malkan.
   NPR affiliate KEDT-FM/90.3, which operates on donations from the public, is coming up on its October fundraising drive, and officials are considering donating a portion of its fundraising to the relief effort, said Andy Ybarra, KEDT's director of membership.
   And in what will be a rare moment for network TV, most major TV networks are planning an industry-wide telethon Friday night to raise cash for the relief. The unprecedented two-hour TV event - expected to start at 8 p.m. - will air simultaneously on as many broadcast and cable networks as possible. Multiple celebrities plan on participating, including Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Jim Carrey, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Santana and Stevie Wonder.
   KRIS and Fox affiliate KDF will carry the telethon, and KIII, KZTV and PBS affiliate KEDT could likely join in as they get word from their networks.
  
   Contact pop culture/media critic Ricardo Baca at 886-3688 or bacar@caller.com
  
  

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