Business Sponsorship Opportunities

Market Your Business While Supporting WAER

When your business supports public media, you’re doing more than just advertising. You’re building trust.

As a WAER Syracuse Public Media sponsor, your business name and message will be heard loud and clear in an environment free of commercial clutter, both on-air and on-line. Join the many other businesses and organizations that are reaping the benefits from their WAER marketing plans. Contact us today to find out which standard sponsorship plan is right for your business.

Join Other Local Businesses Stepping Up to Bridge the Gap

In response to recent federal funding cuts impacting public media nationwide, WAER is reaching out to the vibrant small business community of Central New York to bridge the funding gap and sustain the high-quality, independent journalism, music, and cultural programming that our region relies on.

Your business can be part of the solution, and benefit from it!

This is a different kind of sponsorship. It’s a modest, meaningful way for businesses to be recognized as part of something bigger. It’s about being heard, not for selling, but for supporting. Your name joins a trusted platform with a mission: serving the public good through thoughtful content and local connection.

When your business joins our “Bridge the Gap” initiative, you’ll be acknowledged across WAER’s airwaves and digital platforms as a vital supporter of community media. These on-air and online messages are professionally written and produced, grouped respectfully with one or two other local businesses per mention.

You'll also be recognized on WAER's social media and weekly e-newsletter, In the Loop, reaching a wide audience that values community-conscious brands.

Ready to stand with WAER? Contact us today to learn more and help us bridge the gap. jaweekes@syr.edu

The Halo Effect

The Halo Effect is real, and here's how it works.

74% of listeners say they hold a more positive opinion of companies that support public radio.
84% of NPR listeners have taken action because of a sponsorship message.

Public media audiences recognize the businesses that stand behind stations like WAER. When your business supports public radio, listeners see you as trustworthy, ethical, and community-minded. You’re not just buying airtime; you're aligning your brand with purpose.

In Their Own Words

"As a long time WAER listener, I felt it was important to have my local business support my local public radio station. Plus, I felt that WAER listeners were a natural fit for our marketing efforts. At Vince's, our customers feel like family. We feel the same about partnering with WAER. Now, we're a part of the NPR family." - Sam Mondello, Owner of Vince's Gourmet Imports

"We're proud to support WAER, because for both Bousquet Holstein and WAER, giving back to the community is an integral part of who we are." - Larry Bousquet and David Holstein, Managing Attorneys at Bousquet Holstein

"I feel that WAER's audience is the perfect fit for us. They're intelligent and loyal, exactly the kind of people we look to reach. When people call us, they make a point to tell us they heard about California Closets on WAER." - Joy Rafferty, Owner of California Closets of Syracuse

Learn About WAER's Fiercely Loyal Audience Below

Jennifer Weekes-Osada, Director of Corporate Development
Phone: 315-443-5254 | Email: jaweekes@syr.edu

Ben Sills, Corporate Sales Account Associate
Phone: 315-443-1833 | Email: bjsills@syr.edu