Feeding America Radiothon Today!

• After many weeks of preparation, The Radio Cares: Feeding America Emergency Radiothon is finally here! This special one-day grassroots fundraising event to benefit Feeding America and its 200 local member food banks will be carried on hundreds and hundreds of radio stations from coast to coast today from 12am ET until 11:59pm ET.

Ron Stone, Pres. & CEO of Adams Radio Group and the spokesperson for the Independent Broadcasters Association (IBA) originated the concept, which was initially announced earlier this month. The campaign was seriously enhanced by the added participation of Sun Broadcast Group, Cumulus Media and Westwood One, which will air today’s fundraiser across all of its 24/7 formats and on its nationally produced music and talk shows, including The BOB & TOM Show and its 100+ affiliates. The Now! Media-syndicated Bob & Sheri show will also be participating across its network of 65 stations in the U.S. and 170 countries on American Forces Radio Network.

All imaging and branding, audio promos, sweepers, liner copy, :15, :30 and :60 spots, and web banners are being provided by Benztown, and the RadioCares.org website was developed and hosted by Vipology. YEA Networks has donated the use of the URL to the Radio Cares initiative, a new grassroots charitable effort bringing U.S. radio stations and companies together to benefit select charitable causes.

HRN Media Network, like Sun Broadcast Group, a Gen Media Partners company, has contributed inventory that reaches 94% of U.S. Hispanic households across 220 radio stations. Rockcastle Media Networks is also donating its entire barter inventory to the effort today, as well as a significant portion of inventory in the days surrounding the effort. Motor Racing Network (MRN) has also offered inventory across its networks and programs to support today’s Feeding America Emergency Radiothon.

Any radio station that still wishes to participate in this ambitious industry wide effort to raise money for Feeding America may sign up at RadioCares.org. Listeners may also donate at RadioCares.org or by texting “Feed” to 95819.