FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: George Hazimanolis
April 26, 2017 412-622-1366
Dave Hallewell
412-622-1520
WQED’s RICKSTARTER CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN
EXCEEDS GOAL BY $30,000
Total of $142,777 raised on goal of $113,000 for new series
from Producer Rick Sebak
PITTSBURGH – WQED’s Kickstarter crowd funding campaign to fund Producer Rick Sebak’s next series of six shows has exceeded its goal by $29,777 – and enabled WQED to add a seventh program to the production schedule.
Dubbed “Rickstarter,” the campaign kicked off on March 27 with the goal of raising $113,000 in 30 days to fund six new programs titled NEBBY: Rick Sebak’s Tales of Greater Pittsburgh. That initial goal was met on April 17 – eight days ahead of schedule. The campaign continued with a “stretch goal” of $133,000 to fund a seventh program, which was met on April 23. The 30-day campaign ended at 12:01am on April 26 with a total of $142,777 raised from 1,411 donors. Kickstarter crowd funding campaigns are “all or nothing,” meaning that if the goal is not met, no money would be forthcoming.
“This was WQED’s first crowd funding effort, and the results blew us away,” said Deborah L. Acklin, president and chief executive officer of WQED Multimedia. “We’re always looking for new ways to fund projects, and a Rick Sebak series was the perfect fit for this type of campaign. His audience spans all age groups and his popularity is universal.”
“I have to say that the whole Kickstarter/Rickstarter experience has been exhilarating but also terrifying at times,” said Rick. “This NEBBY project was an experiment and a gamble, and we had a high goal for what was essentially a local Pittsburgh project, but people I’ve known and worked with and done stories about over my thirty years at WQED—as well as many people I’ve never met-- all came through with a level of enthusiasm and support that is amazing.”
“I am so thankful for all of our backers, from the Buhl Foundation that really got this rolling to whoever was that last pledge this morning at 12:01AM.”
Rick will begin production of NEBBY: Rick Sebak’s Tales of Greater Pittsburgh this summer, with the first episode scheduled to premiere in fall 2017 on WQED-TV.
About WQED
WQED changes lives by creating and sharing outstanding public media that educates, entertains, and inspires. It is the parent company of WQED-TV (PBS); WQED World; WQED Create; WQED Showcase; WQED PBS KIDS Channel; Classical WQED-FM 89.3/Pittsburgh; Classical WQEJ-FM 89.7/Johnstown; the Pittsburgh Concert Channel at WQED-HD2 (89.3-2FM) and online at www.wqed.org/fm; local and national television and radio productions; WQED Interactive (www.wqed.org) and iQ: smartmedia, WQED’s Educational initiative (www.wqed.org/edu).
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George Hazimanolis
Senior Director of Corporate Communications
WQED Multimedia
4802 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
412-622-1366 office
412-370-8802 cell
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