Capital Campaign FAQ

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The response to WVBR’s purchase of 604 East Buffalo Street and to the Capital Campaign has been just amazing, and extremely gratifying. Along with your generous donations, we’ve received a great many questions above the campaign, our new home, and the eventual move. We’ve assembled this WVBR Capital Campaign FAQ to answer those questions, and plan to keep updating it as more questions come in. Feel free to send your questions to capitalcampaign@wvbr.com!

Where is WVBR’s new home located?

The building is located at 604 East Buffalo Street, on the corner of Stewart Avenue.

How much did 604 East Buffalo Street cost?

The purchase price was $310,000.

How was WVBR able to pay for the house?

We used funds left over from the forced sale of the Linden Avenue property, plus some early capital campaign gifts and loans from our extremely supportive alumni base.

Why is the capital campaign goal set at $935,000?

Aside from playing off our 93.5 frequency, we are seeking sufficient capital not only for the buildout, but for future improvements and for the general financial health of the station.

Is there a deadline to achieve this goal?

The capital campaign is designed as a multi-year, ongoing effort to support the station and its objectives.

If I want to make a large donation, can I do it over a period of years?

Absolutely – in fact, a number of alumni have already pledged to pay a given amount each year for a number of years.  This will work for smaller donations as well, via a subscription option on the capital campaign page.

When will WVBR move into 604 East Buffalo Street?

Our intent is to be ready to move out of 957 Mitchell Street (aka The Cow Palace) and start operating out of 604 East Buffalo by the start of the Fall 2013 semester.

Is my contribution tax-deductible?

Yes, it is.  The Cornell Radio Guild is a registered 501(C)(3) non-profit organization.

Do you accept non-cash contributions?

Yes.  Some donors have given gifts of appreciated stock, which can provide tax advantages.  Other examples of welcome non-cash contributions include equipment, and services that we might require during buildout.

What kind of recognition will I get as a donor?

We plan to have recognition boards made and put on permanent display at the station.  Those who purchase naming rights for the building and various rooms at 604 E. Buffalo will have their names permanently emblazoned on those rooms.

Will there be a special ceremony to commemorate the move-in?

We absolutely plan to have a special event at that time.  We’ll provide further details as we get closer.

WVBR’s New Home has a New Name!

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WVBR is proud to announce that our new building at 604 East Buffalo Street will be named Olbermann-Corneliess Studios, made possible by a generous contribution from one of our most distinguished alumni, Keith Olbermann ’79. The building will be named in honor of Keith’s father, the late Theodore Olbermann, and former WVBR program director Glenn Corneliess ’79, who passed away in 1996. Glenn was instrumental in the success of WVBR during the late ’70s and is still very much missed by those who knew him.

The announcement was made on January 10, 2013 at an enthusiastic, well-attended WVBR alumni dinner at Pasta Lovers Trattoria in New York, with both Keith and the Corneliess family in attendance. That enthusiasm was enhanced by the news that we have raised more than $550,000 so far!

In Keith’s own words: “Everything I have began at WVBR, and I’m honored to help future generations of broadcasters who’ll be able to gratefully say the same thing. It’s also an honor to again be able to pay tribute to my late friend Glenn Corneliess. I’m sure Glenn would’ve objected to the ordering of our names until I told him that this precludes any chance anybody will ever think there was a guy named Corneliess Olbermann.”

Our capital campaign continues to be a success, and with your help we can make it to our multi-year goal of raising $935,000. Thanks to all those who have donated so far, especially those who have made ongoing multi-year commitments. That option is available on our capital campaign page at http://wvbr.com/capitalcampaign, where you can now see up-to-date donation totals as well.

We’re most happy to answer any questions you may have at capitalcampaign@wvbr.com, and we thank you for your support!

12/12/12 – A Historic Day for WVBR!

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We’re proud to announce that WVBR is now officially the proud owner of 604 East Buffalo Street! The closing took place yesterday (12/12/12), with General Manager Drew Endick ’14 taking possession of the keys.

This is a huge first step in WVBR’s return to Collegetown and the creation of our new multimedia center. We still need your help to accomplish our dream, and we thank those who have already responded to our $935,000 capital campaign effort. We’re gratified and humbled by the response we’ve gotten so far, and very soon we’ll be sharing some exciting news about naming rights for WVBR’s new home.

We have posted the floorplan we envision for our new space, in addition to all the latest information on the building and our capital campaign, at http://wvbr.com/capitalcampaign. You can join our capital campaign by making a tax-deductible donation by mail or online via Paypal. If you have any questions, please email us at capitalcampaign@wvbr.com.

Stay tuned for an upcoming virtual tour of our new facilities, and thank you again for your support!

The WVBR Spirit – Paying It Forward

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“I’m Peter Schacknow for WVBR News…” (1978, WVBR archives)

In August of 1974, I stepped through the front door of WVBR for the very first time, in what would turn out to be one of the most significant acts of my life. That door led me to a career, a lifetime of good friends, and an unforgettable four years of great memories in what was then a brand new facility on Linden Avenue.

I was lucky enough to become part of something special: a living, breathing entity that became more successful as time went on, fueled by the enthusiasm of the students who ran it.

That enthusiasm has kept the station going through some difficult times: an economic downturn, the loss of our Linden Avenue building, a very different era for radio, and the use of a less than adequate space far from campus that nonetheless continued attract enough dedicated students to keep that spirit alive.

Now, through hard work and good fortune, we have the opportunity to create a magical experience for a whole new generation. We’re buying a new building close to campus at 604 E. Buffalo Street, and we officially kicked off a capital campaign to help build a full fledged multimedia center.

We’re already a significant portion of the way towards our $935,000 goal. With your help, we can get all the way there and beyond, and recreate the magic that you were fortunate enough to enjoy.

We’ll keep you up to date on how we’re doing and how you can be a part of the ongoing process. Please check this space often for updates and don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have.

The 604 Blog – Who’s Who?

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As you might suspect, there is an army of volunteer students and alumni working behind-the-scenes to make sure WVBR’s move to 604 East Buffalo Street is a success. We have recruited the top project leadership from the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors to produce and moderate The 604 Blog. Since you’ll be hearing quite a bit from us over the coming weeks and months, we figured a formal introduction to the team is in order!

Student Staff / Executive Committee
Drew Endick ’14
President & General Manager
Drew, a junior History major, serves as the President and General Manager. Drew joined the news department in the fall of 2010 and became News Director in 2011. During his sophomore year, Drew focused on expanding the station’s multimedia presence. Drew, with the help of many staff members, pushed for increased video creation and founded a second audio stream in CornellRadio.com programmed for student-aged listeners. Drew has interned for a Washington D.C. morning radio show and would like to continue working in talk radio after graduating.
Julia Buffinton ’14
Vice President
Julia, a junior Linguistics major, began her time at the Cornell Radio Guild as a member of the Promotions department in the fall of 2010, and since then has served as Promotions Director and Communications Director before taking on her current position as VP & Assistant General Manager in the spring of 2012. In addition to her station duties, she is a member of the Cornell Big Red Marching Band and the historian for the Big Red Pep Band, as well as an Orientation Supervisor.
Maria Donnini ’13
WVBR Alumni Affairs Director
Maria has been working at WVBR since September 2010, when she joined the station as a newscaster. She currently serves as Alumni Relations Director and served as Corporate Secretary last year. In addition to her work in alumni relations, Maria is a co-host of The Sunday Forum, a weekend specialty show. A Government major at Cornell, Maria is a sports announcer for Cornell Athletics, a Resident Advisor in a first-year dormitory building, a student ambassador, and a Law Intern for the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Alumni / Board of Directors
Dan Zarrow ’06
Chairman, Board of Directors
Dan graduated from Cornell with a degree in Atmospheric Science, and currently works for the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist at Rutgers University, and also does freelance on-air weather for News 12 New Jersey. As a student, Dan worked in numerous positions throughout WVBR including President, Vice President of Staff & Facilities, and Treasurer. He was elected to the WVBR Board of Directors in 2006 and has served as Chair since 2010.
Peter Schacknow ’78
Chair, Alumni Affairs Committee, Board of Directors
Peter graduated from Cornell with a degree in Communications, and also holds an MBA in accounting from Hofstra University. He currently works as a senior producer at CNBC and is also a part time anchor for CNBC Radio. Peter was News Director during his years at WVBR, and has served on the Board of Directors since 2007.
Larry Epstein ’76 MBA ’78
Chair, Facilities Committee, Board of Directors
Larry holds an MBA from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management and a BS from Cornell’s College of Engineering. He is a former General Manager of WVBR-FM and has served on the Board of Directors since 1999. Following a successful career in local and network television and new media management, Larry now teaches Entertainment & Arts Management at Drexel University and currently serves as Interim Department Chair of Drexel’s department of Arts & Entertainment Enterprise.

If you have any questions, comments, or stories to share, we’d love to hear from you! Please e-mail us at capitalcampaign@wvbr.com.

Coming Home to Collegetown: The WVBR Capital Campaign

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Dear WVBR Alumni:

I’m thrilled to tell you of a very exciting development for WVBR: a brand new home in Collegetown!

WVBR is in the process of buying a building at 604 East Buffalo Street in Ithaca, on the corner of Stewart Avenue. The new studios and offices will be much larger than our current cramped quarters, not to mention much easier for students to get to.

We envision the new WVBR as a multimedia center, where students train not only in radio, but in video production, web design, online programming, and many other aspects of digital media.

But to get there, we need your help.

To realize the dream of a new multimedia home where students can get a hands-on start on future careers, the way WVBR helped you on your own, we are kicking off a $935,000 capital campaign. Full details are available online at wvbr.com/capitalcampaign. Our effort includes the opportunity for naming rights for various parts of the building, as well as donor recognition boards at the station where your contribution can be honored.

As you probably know, WVBR was forced to leave its longtime home at 227 Linden Avenue in 2000, and has been operating from rented facilities at 957 Mitchell Street near East Hill Plaza since that time. Though the remoteness and spartan nature of what we affectionately call “the Cow Palace” has no doubt kept away many a potential staff member, the station has survived, thanks to the dedication and perseverance of a core group of passionate students. Now it has the chance to blossom again, in modern facilities that can serve the needs of a much larger student staff.

Without WVBR, I wouldn’t have the career I have today. I have no doubt that many alumni can say the same, and that you look back most fondly on your days at the station and the accomplishments and lifelong friendships you began there.

Please click on http://wvbr.com/capitalcampaign, check out the details on our new home and our capital campaign, and help the station achieve our goal!

Sincerely,
Peter Schacknow ’78
Chairman, Alumni Relations Committee
WVBR Board of Director