Underwriting with NCPR -- A Mutually Beneficial Partnership

Guidelines | Rates | Sample Packages | Program Grid (.pdf)

NCPR Web Underwriting

Perhaps you've noticed the underwriter acknowledgments at the top of virtually all of our pages as you've surfed through our online content. The businesses you see are taking advantage of a great opportunity to connect with our online NCPR family.

NCPR offers a maximum of 20 web underwriting opportunities at an annual cost of $1,000 each. Underwriting acknowledgements randomly rotate throughout our web pages, offering a minimum of 5,000 page views per month for each web underwriter. The transfer of our viewer to your website is seamless. Once viewers click on your underwriter "button," they immediately enter your website. It's as simple as that!

For more information on how you can become one of our NCPR web underwriters, email Sandy Demarest or call 1-877-388-6277.

NCPR Broadcast Underwriting

North Country Public Radio has been broadcasting in the public interest since 1968. Thousands of listeners rely on NCPR to deliver their daily dose of regional and national news; political, environmental and educational on-air discussions and call-in programs; as well as a diverse offering of music and other entertainment programming. North Country Public Radio continues to derive the great majority of its annual revenue from private sector support. Astute business people throughout our broadcast region recognize North Country Public Radio as an uncommon, cost-effective, and lucrative underwriting investment. 

Underwriting presents an opportunity for business people to actively and publicly lend their financial support of North Country Public Radio before an audience of well-traveled, well-educated individuals, many of whom hold managerial positions and enhanced personal spending power. This is a market of individuals who think, care, and spend. No other media source reaches homes and businesses throughout our broadcast region — virtually the entire northern tier of New York State, western Vermont, and Southern Ontario and Quebec. In some Adirondack communities, North Country Public Radio is the only radio signal received.

Second, underwriters are afforded an enhanced public image — loyal NCPR listeners are like family to the station, and they greatly value and recognize the investment made by local and regional businesses in support of their public radio station.

Should you wish to discuss underwriting, please contact Sandy Demarest.

Broadcast Underwriting Guidelines

Clear guidelines make for a good message. A combination of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and North Country Public Radio (NCPR) guidelines for underwriting ensure that the message brought forth is clear, concise, sophisticated and pleasing to the ears of our listeners.

FCC underwriting guidelines dictate that all public radio stations must refrain from using underwriting language which contains:

  1. Calls to Action (words such as "call", "stop by", or phrases prompting action)
  2. References to price (i.e., actual price, "free", "on sale", etc.)
  3. Superlatives (i.e., "best", "greatest", "most reliable", etc.) or other qualitative descriptors
  4. Inducements to buy, rent, sell, or lease

The "intent" of underwriting is to publicly acknowledge our underwriters and provide a brief description of location, services, notable business anniversary or relocation information, slogans used as a standard, traditional portion of the business's marketing mix and which do not violate FCC and NCPR regulations, as well as telephone numbers and web site information. Underwriting credits must fit in a 10 second time frame. NOTE:  A maximum of two underwriter credits are scheduled in most available program breaks. Each credit spot is sold separately.

NCPR Underwriting Guidelines:

  1. Web site information may be included. As an added value, we will also provide a direct link from our Current Underwriters list to the web pages of our underwriters.
  2. Other than accepted slogans, words such as "you," "your," "our," and "we" are not permitted. It suggests a personal statement on the part of the station and is therefore not acceptable.
  3. NCPR will comply, without exception, with all FCC underwriting guidelines; non-compliance subjects the station to severe penalties.

Broadcast Underwriting Rates

Compare North Country Public Radio underwriting rates to those of any other medium! NCPR rates are offered at two levels: prime time and standard time.

Prime time rates are $22.00 per credit supporting programs aired during times when listenership tends to be at its highest. Prime time programs include: Morning Edition, Garrison Keillor's Writer's Almanac and A Prairie Home Companion, regional and national news, All Things Considered, and many more.

View our complete schedule of prime and standard programming (PDF document)

Standard time rates are $14.00 per credit supporting mid-day and evening programs enjoyed by our listeners. Standard time programs include:  classical music, On Point, Mountain Stage, The Thistle & Shamrock, and many other popular programs.

Credits are defined as a 10-second underwriter message conforming to the underwriter guidelines listed above.

Each underwriting partnership is unique, with credits structured to suit the needs of that particular business.  Credits may run several times a day, once a day, five days a week, once a week, or concentrated seasonally.  All credits are subject to availability.

Flexible Payment Schedules
 Convenient payment schedules can be arranged on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis.

Discounted Annual Packages
Underwriting partnerships which encompass a 12-month run are offered at a discounted rate. The underwriter pays for the first 50 weeks, while receiving the remaining two weeks free of charge.

Sample Underwriting Packages

Name of Plan Cost Number of Credits Credit Type Payment Options
Package A $12,600 364 Prime In Full
    364 Standard $3,150.00/quarter
        $1,050.00/month
Package A represents an underwriting profile containing seven prime and seven standard credits per week.

Name of Plan Cost Number of Credits Credit Type Payment Options
Package B $9,000 260 Prime In Full
    260 Standard $2,250.00/quarter
        $750.00/month
Package B represents an underwriting profile containing five prime and five standard credits per week.

Name of Plan Cost Number of Credits Credit Type Payment Options
Package C $6,900 260 Prime In Full
    104 Standard $1,725.00/quarter
        $575.00/month
Package C represents an underwriting profile containing five prime and two standard credits per week.

Name of Plan Cost Number of Credits Credit Type Payment Options
Package D $4,700 156 Prime In Full
    104 Standard $1,175.00/quarter
        $391.66/month
Package D represents an underwriting profile containing three prime and two standard credits per week.

Name of Plan Cost Number of Credits Credit Type Payment Options
Package E $2,200 104 Prime In Full
        $550.00/quarter
        $183.33/month
Package E represents an underwriting profile containing two prime credits per week.

Name of Plan Cost Number of Credits Credit Type Payment Options
Package F $1,100 52 Prime In Full
        $275.00/quarter
        $91.66/month
Package F represents an underwriting profile containing one prime credit per week.

Name of Plan Cost Number of Credits Credit Type Payment Options
Package G $700 52 Standard In Full
        $175.00/quarter
        $58.33/month
Package G represents an underwriting profile containing one standard credit per week.
Seasonal rates are also available.

Should you wish to discuss underwriting, please contact Sandy Demarest.

I opened my business, Borealis Color, in the summer of 2007. From the beginning, I have been an underwriter on NCPR, and it has proven to be one of the most effective forms of promotion I have found for my business.

I advertise aggressively, in a wide range of outlets. Besides being an underwriter of NCPR, I advertise on local commercial radio stations and in numerous print media. My contract with NCPR grants me 5 10-second spots a week, and costs about $358 a month -- a bargain in light of the fact that consistent customer feedback indicates to me that the NCPR spots generate more visits to my store, and from a wider geographic range, than any other form of marketing. I think NCPR listeners take an active approach to this region. My perception has been that they truly appreciate & wish to encourage the businesses whose underwriting support helps provide the programs they enjoy. I have had customers from all over the Adirondacks, from The St. Lawrence Valley, from Vermont, from Canada, and from the western and southern parts of out North Country tell me that they purposely visited my store because of hearing my NCPR spots. On more than one occasions, my phone has rung moments after an NCPR announcer read the number.

As a new business,I have been utilizing a broad range of advertising outlets because I feel the need to spread my name wide. However, I will soon be reducing my expenditure by focusing on those outlets which seem to be the most effective. NCPR will be at the top of my list. In fact, it would be absolutely the last thing I would cut, because it has proven to be the single most potent, cost-effective form of advertising available.

Susan Olsen
Borealis Color
Saranac Lake, New York