SAN DIEGO, CA — The Catholic Answers Live 2016 spring drive in May was the radio show’s most successful to date.
Tuesday through Thursday in the second week of May, during the show’s airtime of 3 to 5 p.m. PST, the Catholic Answers phone lines lit up with supporters eager to keep the top-rated program going strong.
Since Catholic Answers is a nonprofit apostolate, fundraising is the lifeblood of its efforts. “Asking for financial support is one of the more difficult aspects of producing the show,” program director Darin Delozier said. “But it was encouraging to see such a great response to this drive, with many new members pledging support.”
The cost of running a daily radio show is substantial, Delozier said. Through the generosity of donors, in the past year antiquated audio equipment has been upgraded. Also, an expansion has made the studio more video-friendly and allowed larger groups of live visitors to watch the proceedings comfortably.
“While it’s impossible to tease out which factor caused the record response, we tried a few new things,” host Patrick Coffin said. “We heard a few more personal testimonies and dropped the background music altogether. We’re just grateful it worked so well.”
For the three days of the radio drive, Catholic Answers apologists Tim Staples and Jimmy Akin answered listeners’ questions in open forums, a format that allows for answers to a variety of apologetic, evangelistic, and pastoral questions. With phone queues at capacity, all hands were on deck. Members of other departments pitched in with customer service members to take in pledges.
“Not only did these staff members take down gift pledges, they heard some heartfelt conversion stories that were a result of Catholic Answers Live,” internal activities director Kathy Stone said.
Even though the on-air radio drive has ended, listeners can still support Catholic Answers Live by joining the Radio Club and making a one-time donation or a monthly pledge by phone at 619-387-7200 or online at https://donate.catholic.com/radio.
Radio Club members who pledge $18 or more per month or give a one-time gift of $200 receive two new releases: the CD Living Bread by Tim Staples and Brant Pietre’s book The Case for Jesus. Those who give $500 or more will receive a kit by the Augustine Institute called Divine Mercy Is the Second Greatest Story Ever Told.
Even throughout such efforts of financial necessity, Delozier said, the radio department members try to never lose sight of their goal.
“What I love most about my job as producer of Catholic Answers Live is facilitating conversations that lead to conversions,” he said.
— Richaél Smith