Public Television Relies on Rock to Raise Money

The Public Broadcasting Service has found that featuring rock-music specials during pledge drives is an increasingly effective way to motivate viewers to give, reports National Public Radio’s All Things Considered.

Since the late 1990s, when a doo-wop special wooed donors in a big way, PBS has relied more and more on bringing music to pledge drives as a way to help its audience feel good, remember their youth, and become motivated to give. At the same time, music companies like Sony have discovered that featuring artists on public television fund-raising drives is a great way to promote their catalog of music, NPR reports.