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National Association of Broadcasters

WGRD-FM Host Busts Fake Panhandler, Raises Money for Vets


Topic: Military-Focused Initiatives
Posted on 8/8/2013

Townsquare Media’s WGRD-FM Grand Rapids, Mich., staged a mission dubbed Producer Joe’s Hobo Truth Brigade. Producer Joe got Rudy, who sat at a busy corner with a cardboard sign that read "Homeless Vet," to admit he never served in the military. Producer Joe then held a cardboard sign that said "LIAR" with an arrow pointing at Rudy. Joe returned the next day to panhandle as a fundraiser for the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. He collected $1,085, which the station matched to produce a total of $2,170.



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