WNYC Announces that "New Sounds" Program Saved by Donations

$1.5 million has been donated by over 1,000 listeners to keep the show on the air

The WNYC radio program New Sounds is set to stay on the air for at least three more years, after a campaign to save the show brought in generous donations from listeners.

New Sounds, which has been on the air for 40 years, was one of many shows on the chopping block, with WNYC citing "financial headwinds" as the main reason that the organization needed to scale back its operations. In the past eighteen months, WNYC has made approximately 50 of its staff redundant in an effort to earn back a deficit of $12 million.

However, New Sounds is particularly beloved among new-music listeners, and a campaign was launched to raise money for the show. It was agreed that if enough money could be raised to keep it running for three more years, then WNYC could justify continuing with the show.

More than 1,000 listeners made financial contributions to the tune of $1.5 million, though the bulk of the money ($1.2 million) was donated by a single individual.

This is not the first time New Sounds has been under threat: WNYC attempted to cut the program in 2019, but that decision was met with significant objection from listeners, and was swiftly reversed as a result.

"As we announced on Wednesday night’s show, the campaign to save New Sounds has ended – and ended with a great flourish from our listeners!" said host John Schaefer. "As you’ve probably heard, the financial headwinds rocking the media world, and public media especially, had forced WNYC into cuts and layoffs, with New Sounds scheduled to leave the air at the end of May, unless we could raise the money needed to guarantee the show a three-year runway, by which time the hope is the station will be back on an even keel and doing business as usual."

"I thought it was a long shot at best, but donors large and small proved me wrong. After focusing initially on major donors, because we were short on time and had a lot of money to raise, we finally opened the campaign up to our full listenership a week and a half ago, when it seemed like the goal was realistically in sight, and you folks responded with enthusiasm, encouragement, and, yes, money.  We (longtime producer Caryn Havlik and myself) could not be more grateful. Because of you, the campaign to save New Sounds has in fact saved New Sounds."