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Sir Richard Branson. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Red Bull)
SYDNEY—They were aiming for a life-saving $1 million, but struggling independent radio station FBi managed to get a $70 membership fee and some nice prizes out of UK billionaire Sir Richard Branson.
The Virgin boss phoned the Sydney station on Monday morning in response to their Ask Richard campaign, which asked listeners come up with creative stunts to coax Branson to save FBi.
The six-year-old non-profit station, which gave bands like The Presets and Wolfmother their start, was hit by the global financial crisis early this year and needs a cash injection to stay afloat.
Supporters of the station have gone sky-diving, a band called The Branson Ransom have been busking non-stop in Newtown and cupcakes featuring Branson's face have been handed out around Sydney to raise publicity.
But it was an unidentified Aussie girl who turned up on Branson's private Caribbean retreat, Necker Island, who got his attention.
"The first I heard about it I was having dinner on Necker Island and this rather soaking wet Australian girl stumbled into the dinner room and she'd swum two-and-a-half miles from another island to get to our island to have a talk about your campaign," Branson told FBi.
"She stayed the night and I contacted our Australian office to find out what's going on."
Branson said he was a fan of many of the stunts and commended the station on their money-raising initiatives.
But he stopped short of handing over the $1 million.
"The difficulty we have is that everybody every day writes to ask me for a million bucks or more or less," he said.
"We've got some quite big causes and campaigns on, some of which need our entrepreneurial skills to help, like global warming or setting up a centre for disease control in Africa.
"Others, like your's, we will sit down with you and try to come up with imaginative ways to help you get on your feet or raise money."
Branson gave the station two return flights and tickets to London to attend V Festival in August, and two business class return tickets to LA, which the station will use as prizes in their upcoming drive to double their current 4,000 membership by July 3.
Morning presenter Alison Piotrowski also signed Branson up as their first new supporter.
"Now, obviously, a million bucks is a bit out of the question, but how about $70 to sign you up as an annual member of FBi Radio?" she asked.
"You've got me signed, so that's fine," Branson laughed.
FBi general manager Evan Kaldor said that while $1 million would have been great, the station was thrilled with the outcome.
"What we realise is that FBi is about its community, and it's about its listeners supporting, and what Richard's done is given us probably the best supporter drive we've ever had," he said.
