Home > Rick on Radio > Station Support > Travel with Rick Steves Programs

Travel with Rick Steves: Fundraiser Modules

Released September 2009 (for use through September 2010)

Rick Steves premium packages are available for your station with no minimum order requirements, and at a very reasonable wholesale cost. Telephone Angie Kirkwood at 425/771-8303, ext. 240 for ordering information. You can also email pledge@ricksteves.com to place orders for these premiums. Be sure to specify it is for radio.

Description of Segments:

This fundraiser package includes excerpts from popular editions of Travel with Rick Steves from the past two years, including some material not aired on the show.

Fundraiser billboard = 1:00
Segment 1, "Mystical Ireland": intro, segment, outro & generic pitch = 11:39
Segment 2, "Solutions in Northern Ireland": intro, segment, outro & generic pitch = 9:31
Segment 3, "Experiencing Italian Cuisine": intro, segment, outro & generic pitch = 10:16
Segment 4, "History and Perspectives in Travel": intro, segment part A, out & intro for part B, out & generic pitch = 9:12
Segment 5, "London Holidays": intro, segment, outro & generic pitch = 7:27

 

If you need additional fundraising segments, select from 2008's modules.

Back to Top link

Fundraising Premiums

There is a voice-only premium pitch from Rick, which includes two versions with different music beds, that you can use during your local pitch break to encourage support for the Rick Steves premium package. You can also play these immediately following Rick's generic pitches at the end of each segment.

The Rick Steves premium package is available with no minimum order required for your station — just order what you need at a low-wholesale cost. This package has proved its value for affiliates time after time as a powerful way to stimulate high level listener support for program-related Rick Steves premiums. We hope you'll use the Rick Steves premium pitches during Travel with Rick Steves, and you can even try them elsewhere in your programming to see how a Rick Steves-themed fundraiser break or two performs.

Rick Steves premiums are offered to supporters at three levels: $120, $144, and $240.

$120 level premiums:
$144 level premiums:
$240 level premiums:

 

Rick is also making himself available for custom pitching, live or recorded, by phone or by ISDN studio connection. You need to schedule this in advance with Ashley Sytsma by email at ashley@ricksteves.com or phone 425-608-4293 to make sure his availability schedule can accommodate your needs.

To order premiums contact Angie Kirkwood by phone at 425/771-8303, ext. 240 or by email to pledge@ricksteves.com. Be sure to mention you are a radio affiliate. Photos and descriptions of the Rick Steves premium packages, costs and ordering information are here.

Back to Top link

Formatting Options

This Travel with Rick Steves set of fundraising modules is designed to run for an hour, with two additional shorter modules that you can use to extend your Rick Steves' pitching time beyond an hour.

We recommend using the billboard at the top of the hour to help set up the theme of the fundraiser show, so that it sounds like the regular show, and so the segments won't sound disconnected. The billboard forward promotes segments 1, 2 and 3.

Segments 1 and 2 are designed to be used in that order. However, as a repeat (i.e., in Spring 2010) you can substitute segments 4 and/or 5 instead of segment 3, if you like, for a full hour that will have new material since Fall 2009. So if you aren't using segment 3 in a Spring partial-repeat of the fundraiser, then you should also not air the billboard then.

The following are several options for how you can format this fundraiser to time out.

Formatting Option A:
Times Item (Length)

00:00 - 01:00

Billboard

(1:00)

01:00 - 06:00

Full NPR or BBC newscast

(5:00)

06:00 -17:39

Segment 1 "Mystical Ireland"

(11:39)

17:40 - 24:00

Local pitch break

(6:20)

24:00 - 33:31

Segment 2 "Solutions in Northern Ireland"

(9:31)

33:32 - 40:00

Local pitch break

(6:28)

40:00 - 50:16

Segment 3 "Experiencing Italian Cuisine"

(10:16)

50:17 - 59:00

Local pitch break, etc.

(8:43)



Print Details | Download Segments

 
Formatting Option B:
Times Item (Length)

00:00 - 01:00

Billboard

(1:00)

01:00 - 04:00

Newscast, part 1

(3:00)

04:00 -15:39

Segment 1 "Mystical Ireland"

(11:39)

15:40 - 19:00

Local pitch break

(3:20)

19:00 - 28:31

Segment 2 "Solutions in Northern Ireland"

(9:31)

28:32 - 33:00

Local pitch break

(4:28)

33:00 - 43:16

Segment 3 "Experiencing Italian Cuisine"

(10:16)

43:17 - 48:00

Local pitch break

(4:43)

48:00 - 55:27

Segment 5 "London Holidays"

(7:27)

55:27 - 59:00

Local pitch break, etc.

(3:33)



Print Details | Download Segments

 
Formatting Option C:
Times Item (Length)

00:00 - 01:00

Billboard

(1:00)

01:00 - 02:00

Mini-pitch break

(1:00)

02:00 -13:39

Segment 1 "Mystical Ireland"

(11:39)

13:40 - 18:00

Local pitch break

(4:20)

18:00 - 27:31

Segment 2 "Solutions in Northern Ireland"

(9:31)

27:32 - 32:00

Local pitch break

(4:28)

32:00 - 42:16

Segment 3 "Experiencing Italian Cuisine"

(10:16)

42:17 - 47:00

Local pitch break

(4:43)

Use Either Segment 4 + Local Pitch Break

47:00 - 56:12

Segment 4 "History and Perspectives in Travel"

(9:12)

56:13 - 59:00

Local pitch break, etc.

(2:47)

Or Use Segment 5 + Local Pitch Break

47:00 - 54:27

Segment 5 "London Holidays"

(7:27)

54:28 - 59:00

Local pitch break, etc.

(4:32)



Print Details | Download Segments

 
Formatting Option D:
Times Item (Length)

00:00 - 01:00

Billboard

(1:00)

01:00 - 06:00

Full or partial NPR or BBC newscast

(3:00 or 5:00)

06:00 - 07:00

Mini-pitch break

(1:00 or 3:00)

07:00 -18:39

Segment 1 "Mystical Ireland"

(11:39)

18:40 - 24:00

Local pitch break

(5:20)

24:00 - 33:31

Segment 2 "Solutions in Northern Ireland"

(9:31)

33:32 - 40:00

Local pitch break

(6:28)

40:00 - 50:16

Segment 3 "Experiencing Italian Cuisine"

(10:16)

50:17 - 58:00

Local pitch break

(7:43)

58:00 - 1:07.12

Segment 4 "History and Perspectives in Travel"

(9:12)

1:07.13 - 1:15.00

Local pitch break, etc.

(7:47)

1:15.00 - 1:22.27

Segment 5 "London Holidays"

(7:27)

1:22.28 - 1:30.00

Local pitch break, etc.

(7:32)



Print Details | Download Segments

 

Text of Rick's intros, outros, and generic pitching

Billboard (1:00)

Today on Travel with Rick Steves, we're getting better acquainted with a couple of our favorite European travel destinations from what might be a new perspective for the average traveler.

In a moment we'll find out about some of Ireland's deep roots in its mystical and religious traditions. (McPhilemy audio quote :06)

And we'll also learn what sort of hard work went into negotiating an end to the religious fighting that troubled Northern Ireland for years. (Alderdice audio quote :09)

We'll also have some fun getting a taste of Italian cuisine with a couple of enthusiastic guides to Italy. (:02 Tommaso audio quote)

I'm Rick Steves. Stay with us for a special Travel with Rick Steves. We promise to open your world and illustrate some of the ways we are all connected whether we're traveling far from home or just listening in. Thanks for being with us.

Segment 1 "Mystical Ireland" (11:39)
Segment 1 Intro

We're bringing you highlights from some of the radio interviews we've conducted in the past couple of years on today's edition of Travel with Rick Steves. Some of what we're about to hear comes from interviews that just had more material than we could fit into the broadcast. I think you'll enjoy getting a chance to hear these extras perspectives today on some of the most popular destinations in Europe. I expect that you'll feel like an insider as you get to understand other cultures on their own terms.

Let's start with a couple of perspectives on Ireland. It's a land with a deep and complex religious heritage. We'll hear in a bit from one of the players who negotiated an end to the Catholic versus Protestant violence in Northern Ireland, and how his training as a psychologist helped in that effort. But first, let's hear how elements of Ireland's pagan heritage still echo in some of its Catholic traditions.

With the Irish gift for telling a good story, two of my favorites guides to Ireland join us right now for a look at the mystical side of the island. Stephen McPhilemy is a Roman Catholic who lives in Derry, in Ulster, and identifies himself with the entire island. And Pat O'Connor is an Irish-American who helps write my guidebook to Ireland, and has a special place in his heart for the home of his ancestors.

(opens with "I'm Rick Steves this is Travel with Rick Steves...")

outQ: "The O'Neills are the oldest royal family in Europe. Since the 6th century."

Segment 1 Outro and Generic Pitch

Whether or not you have any Irish blood running thru your veins, the Emerald Isle connects in a special way with its visitors. Believe me, some of the settings in Ireland actually look as if you can almost spot a leprechaun hiding in the trees.

And while there's certainly a magic in the storytelling and gift for conversation you can find all over Ireland...there's a lot more behind the surface that goes into making a visit here such a rich cultural experience. We'll hear more in a few minutes from a major Irish political leader who used his training as a psychotherapist to help negotiate an end to the fighting in Northern Ireland. He'll let us in on how understanding the common interests among fellow citizens helped to overcome the entrenched political violence that plagued Ulster for decades.

But first, I think you know that it's not really magic how your public radio station is able to bring you the world. Airing a show like Travel with Rick Steves is just part of the total package you enjoy all week long. And in case you hadn't heard yet, this station relies on contributions from its listeners — and that would be you — to sustain its operations.

We're taking a few minutes before we continue on Travel with Rick Steves to explain how your financial support during this membership campaign is an important way you can take care of your own interests. Your gift helps to guarantee that you'll continue to have a healthy and vibrant public radio service at this place on the dial for years to come.

Have you noticed how advertiser interests in an increasingly crowded media landscape seem to keep lowering the bar on many of the commercial radio and TV stations? I suspect that's one of the reasons you rely on non-commercial public radio now more than ever to keep well-informed about the important issues and news that unfolds all over the world.

Right now, we'd like you to contact us...and make a financial contribution to keep your station strong for the year ahead. That's how you play a role in making certain you can continue to enjoy the programming you want and need every day. If you haven't yet done your part, can we count on you right now to support your public radio station? (short pause) Thanks for doing what you can to maintain public radio in your community.

Segment 2 "Solutions in Northern Ireland" (9:31)
Segment 2 Intro

Thanks for doing your part to keep public radio alive and vital in your community.

We're staying in Ireland right now on Travel with Rick Steves...to bring you perspectives from a man who is a household name in Ireland and Great Britain, but who may be someone you've only met thru Travel with Rick Steves. John Alderdice is a psychologist by training. He comes from an influential family in Belfast and is a member of the British House of Lords. And when Lord Alderdice joined us in our studio, we enjoyed his smart and reasonable insiders' perspectives both on Ireland's troubles in particular, and dealing with terrorism in general.

Lord Alderdice joins us right now to describe some of the thinking that was employed to help finally negotiate an end to the bloodshed and violence between Catholic and Protestant interests in Northern Ireland. His work contributed to the peace agreement that was signed on Good Friday, April 10th in 1998.

(starts with "you've been made a life peer...")

outQ: "I think that's a very good summary."

Segment 2 Outro and Generic Pitch

Hearing Lord Alderdice's perspectives on negotiating a solution to Northern Ireland's sectarian conflict was probably one of the most inspirational hours we've had on Travel with Rick Steves. If you haven't had a chance to hear the entire hour with him, you can find it in the radio archives at ricksteves.com. I believe his lessons from Northern Ireland's recent history can be a model for tackling other conflicts that threaten our peace and security today. And the value of sharing his ideas is what public radio is all about.

I'm glad you appreciate what we bring you each week on this program, and that we can count on you as a listener. Of course, we're not asking you to do anything as challenging as negotiating a peace accord right now. We are asking you to put a value on what you hear...and to make a contribution to support your public radio station. You get to pick the amount to contribute, and whatever you can afford is appreciated and put to good use.

Then, once you've called in your pledge, you'll continue to enjoy the great radio that you rely on day after day. And you'll be able to feel the satisfaction of knowing that you've played a personal part in supporting the station for the year ahead. We're looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks so much for being a contributing member of public radio.

Segment 3 "Experiencing Italian Cuisine" (10:16)
Segment 3 Intro

One of the great pleasures of travel...and for that matter of life...is eating really good food. And there are few places this is as true...as it is in Italy. The Italians have made eating into an artform — featuring regional specialties in season, and knowing what to combine with what and when and how to consume it. When Sicilian tour guide Tommaso Pante and New York-based travel writer and food guide Renee Restivo joined us a while back on Travel with Rick Steves, it was a lot like being at mama's big table as we all talked about food and wine in Italy.

Right now, let's whet our appetites as Tommaso and Renee take listener calls on the subject of how to best experience Italy's cuisine.

(starts with "Julie's on the line from Seattle. Thanks Julie for your cal...")

outQ: "thank you very much; it's been great."

Segment 3 Outro and Generic Pitch

Well, whether or not you get a chance to travel to Italy to taste what we're talking about...I hope we've been able to inject a little of the spirit of the place and its people and its edible traditions into your day right here on Travel with Rick Steves.

It's our hope — in fact it's our mission — that listening to Travel with Rick Steves helps you to experience other cultures and countries from perspectives that maybe you've yet to consider. When it comes to travel-related subjects on the radio, we aim to bring you "the real thing."

And, since this is our membership campaign to raise funds to keep this station operating soundly for the months and years ahead...you know what your role in all this is. Thanks so much if you've made a contribution to the station already. And if you haven't, then we've carved out a couple of minutes to make it easy and rewarding for you to call in your contribution.

If we stimulate your curiosity — and even your appetite — for authentic experiences and connections with people from around the planet, then we've done our job. We're taking just a moment to remind you once more that listener contributions are a vital component of how public radio works in this country. Your financial support goes a long way in securing the future for quality public radio that you want to hear in your community. Thanks for being a part of this membership campaign, and for being a supporter of this station.

Segment 4 "History and Perspectives in Travel" (9:12)
Segment 4A Intro

One country that you might overlook in planning a trip to Europe is Iceland. If you're lucky, your window seat on a flight to Europe might include a view of dawn over the jagged coast of Iceland. We'll hear more about what the culture of Iceland can teach an American curmudgeon about his home culture in just a few minutes.

Whether it's our guests, or the callers who participate in the program, there's a lot of interesting people we get to meet each week on Travel with Rick Steves. Some of them are authors who contribute to our understanding of the world. Some of them are citizens of other countries who add to the color of our radio landscape by describing what makes their home country so distinct and interesting for travelers like you and me. And some of them are fellow travelers who have a story, an idea, or a question to share with us as we get acquainted with our beautiful and fascinating world.

Recently, Robert Edsel introduced us to the enormous task of what went into saving, and then rescuing, thousands of masterpieces of art in Europe during and after World War Two. One of the controversies that continues to this day is how Russia managed to keep so many of the art treasures it recovered from the Nazis. Here's a little historical perspective that helps us better understand a sore point that persists between Germany and Russia when it comes to what to do with the art the Nazis plundered 70-some years ago.

(starts with theme button)

outQ: "I think that's wise advice."

That's Robert Edsel, author of "Rescuing DaVinci" and his follow up book "The Monuments Men."

Segment 4B Intro

A sure-fire way to learn something new about yourself from your travels is to spend some time getting immersed in a foreign culture. Or at least to hear from someone who has, and come away with some fresh perspectives on how that culture contrasts with their home culture here in America.

A while back, we got an interesting view of Iceland from author Bill Holm. His grandparents were immigrants from Iceland, and he spent many summers as a writer contemplating the view from a summer cottage above the rocky coast of the island. Sadly, Bill Holm passed away just a few weeks after we conducted our interview. Here's some of what Bill shared with us on Travel with Rick Steves about what his view from Iceland taught him about his home in the American Midwest.

(open with "I'm Rick Steves, this is Travel with Rick Steves...")

outQ: "That got a little preachy, didn't it? / That's good!")

Segment 4 Outro and Generic Pitch

That's the late Bill Holm, giving us some wisdom to live by. Bill was a much-lauded poet and author in his native Minnesota, and a part-time resident of his ancestral homeland, Iceland. His lookout from that distant corner of Scandinavia gave him a perspective on his life and the culture of his home country that we enjoyed hearing about on Travel with Rick Steves.

These days it's rare to find this kind of conversation outside of public radio in our country. The mass media have a ever-bigger huge impact on the values of our society, and the discussion it engages in. But if you want radio programming that respects your intelligence, assumes an attention span, and is not shaped by commercial interests, then you know that this station is where it's at for you.

I hope by now you also understand how important it is to make a contribution during this membership campaign to help keep your station financially strong, and able to provide the degree of program service you depend on day after day. Thanks for taking a moment to show your appreciation for public radio. We wouldn't be here without your support.

Segment 5 "London Holidays" (7:27)
Segment 5 Intro

The benefits of public broadcasting to our families, communities, and nation are real. Every contribution helps to make it all happen. Thanks for your  financial support during this membership campaign.

One of the things we enjoy providing for you on Travel with Rick Steves is authentic contact with people from other cultures. And as our listeners make plans to travel, a lot of questions emerge while planning your itinerary to get the most out of your time overseas.

A while back, we had two first-rate tour guides from London on the show, and some of our listeners had questions about what to expect during their trips to Britain. Gillian Chadwick and Tom Hooper join us right now as we talk to listeners about travel to London.

(starts with caller, "Hi Marcia. / Hi! / Thanks for your call. Got a question?")

outQ: "...You have that Celtic kind of heritage, like the Welsh and the Irish. / Indeed. / All right.")

Segment 5 Outro & Generic Pitch

People who support public radio understand the value of having a reliable place on the dial to feed our intellect and to reflect our interests in life-long learning about the world. It's really is a pleasure to be a part of this process — part of this family of public radio, with you, this station, and Travel with Rick Steves.

Your contribution during this membership campaign is a vital part of the process of making public radio work throughout our country. It's not a top-down enterprise. In the United States, each public radio station is responsible for serving the people in its listening area with its own mix of programming. We're grateful this station includes Travel with Rick Steves as part of the package. Likewise, each station has to raise the funds to keep operating throughout the year. That's why we're holding this membership campaign right now — so this station can reflect your needs in its programming choices.

You understand how it works...and you know how important it is to have a good public radio station in your community. Thank you for doing your part — whatever you can afford — to support the station. And if you can help cover the cost of someone who's unable to make a contribution — that's great too.

One of the things I've learned by spending time in Europe each year is that in Europe they love their non-commercial broadcasting. And in Europe, they don't have pledge drives! How to they do it? Taxes. In much of Europe, when you plug in a TV or a radio, you plug in a tax.

Well, in the United States, we don't believe in funding non-commercial broadcasting entirely with taxes. We do it with the occasional friendly pledge drive. And listener support is usually the largest component of a station's budget. Actually, I don't call this a pledge drive — I call it the broadcast equivalent of refueling. You appreciate where this station takes you and, right now, you're holding the pump handle. This is a celebration. We're making public radio strong in our communities. Please give us a call. And let us tempt you with some exciting thank you gifts that we're offering to get you on board right now.

Down load Public Radio Fundraiser Segments

.MP2 files .MP3 files .WAV files

Billboards (1:00)

billboard.mp2

billboard.mp3

billboard.wav

Segment 1 (11:39)

Segment 1.mp2

Segment 1.mp3

Segment 1.wav

Segment 2 (9:31)

Segment 2.mp2

Segment 2.mp3

Segment 2.wav

Segment 3 (10:16)

Segment 3.mp2

Segment 3.mp3

Segment 3.wav

Segment 4 (9:12)

Segment 4.mp2

Segment 4.mp3

Segment 4.wav

Segment 5 (7:27)

Segment 5.mp2

Segment 5.mp3

Segment 5.wav

Premium Pitch — Vox (2:00)

Premium Pitch Vox Only

Premium Pitch Vox Only

Premium Pitch Vox Only

Premium Pitch — Mixed Version A (2:05)

Premium Pitch Mixed - Version A

Premium Pitch Mixed - Version A

Premium Pitch Mixed - Version A

Premium Pitch Mixed — Version B (2:04)

Premium Pitch Mixed - Version B

Premium Pitch Mixed - Version B

Premium Pitch Mixed - Version B

 


Back to Top link