Radio Workshop

Hallelujah, It's Bingo Night! (Transcript)

by Nancy Farghalli

Ambience:    Sounds of bingo popping balls

NARRATION:   RED NUMBERED BALLS JUMP LIKE KERNALS IN AN OVERSIZED AIR POPPER. JIM NOLAN, THE BINGO SUPERVISOR, FISHES THE CHOSEN BALL FROM THE CONTAINER, AND READS THE NUMBER.

Ambience:  Fade up number being called

NARRATION: TWO LARGE SCOREBOARDS HANGING FROM THE BASEMENT GYM CEILING LIGHT UP 51: IT'S THE ONLY THING THAT LIGHTS UP IN THE GYM. BINGO BANNED SMOKING TWO YEARS AGO. BUT NOLAN THINKS BINGO MIGHT BE ON ITS ITS LAST PUFF?

Cut:    We have fewer people attending. I think that might be the economy.  Of course, it is older people too.  We don't have a whole lot of young people.  But we have some loyal customers.  We're fortunate for that.

NARRATION:  ONE OF THOSE LOYAL CUSTOMERS IS 15 YEAR VETERAN MARGE HARMON.  SHE COMES EVERY THURSDAY ARMED WITH GOOD LUCK TRINKETS AND A TWENTY DOLLAR SPENDING LIMIT. MARGE CAN'T REMEMBER HOW MANY TIMES SHE YELLED BINGO. BUT, SHE KNOWS THAT THE MONEY SHE SPENDS HELPS THE CHURCH.  

Cut:  If we win we are lucky, if we don't win we are happy to come.

NARRATION:  GOOD SHEPHERD RELIES ON BINGO TO PAY UTILITY BILLS AND TO PROVIDE EXTRA MONEY FOR THE LOCAL SCHOOL. IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, BINGO REVENUE AT LOCAL PARISHES, LIKE THIS ONE, HAS DECLINED.  LAST YEAR, BINGO NETTED THIS CHURCH $15,000, DOWN FROM PREVIOUS YEARS, WHEN THE GYM WAS PACKED WITH MORE THAN 120 PLAYERS. TONIGHT THE GYM HAS FIFTY PLAYERS.

Cut:   I haven't heard of a church starting bingo.

NARRATION: REVERN DENNIS KEANE, THE CHAIRMAN OF NEW YORK'S ARCHDIOCESE'S INTER-PARISH FINANCING COMMISSION, SAYS THAT BINGO REVENUES IN THE ARCHDIOCESE TOTALLED AROUND $2.2 MILLION, DOWN ROUGHLY 25 PERCENT IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS FROM $3.2 MILLION.

Cut:  They just as soon not have it.  All you see is church closing it.  Most clergy would rather support the church through other ways than bingo games and games of chance.  So I think that's what happening.   So there would be no reason to attract people.

Cut:  We advertise in the church bulletin.  We have a big sign in front of the church.  We have a big sign in front of the school.  We pass the word in church.

NARRATION:  NOLAN SAYS THAT BINGO IS STILL A NEEDED REVENUE STREAM -- WHICH MEANS GOOD SHEPARD CAN'T CLOSE THEIR DOORS.  INSTEAD, NOLAN SAYS THEY'VE INCREASED THEIR PRIZES BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ATTEND. TONIGHT'S BINGO BRINGS IN TWO NEW PLAYERS, WHO ARE IN THEIR EIGHTIES.  AND, THAT'S THE PROBLEM FACING CATHOLIC PARISHES, ACCORDING TO DENNIS CONROY, THE PUBLISHER OF THE TRI-STATE BINGO ADVERTISER, THE BINGO BUGLE.

Cut:  I don't know what they are going to do. The customers are going to pass on.

NARRATION:  CONROY SAYS THAT CATHOLIC PARISHES ARE BEING PUSHED OUT OF THE BINGO GAME BECAUSE THEY CAN'T COMPETE AGAINST CASINOS. CASINOS OFFER BINGO JACKPOTS IN THE THOUSANDS. GOOD SHEPERD'S BIGGEST PRIZE IS EIGHTY DOLLARS.

Cut:  They are going to have to bring in the larger games. The younger crowd that is coming into bingo doesn't want to play for ten dollars or fifteen dollars anymore.

NARRATION: THE MAJORITY OF GOOD SHEPARD'S PLAYERS ARE RETIREES WITH FIXED INCOMES, WHO PAY FIVE DOLLARS A BINGO SHEET, COMPARED WITH CASINOS THAT CHARGE FIFTEEN DOLLARS.

Ambience:  Marge Harmon wins bingo, yelling:  Bingo….

NARRATION: MARGE USUALLY GOES HOME WINLESS, BUT TONIGHT SHE POCKETS SIXTY DOLLARS. GOOD SHEPARD'S TAKE TONIGHT ONLY COVERS THE COST OF RUNNING THE GAME. IT'S THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS THEIR CHURCH BUDGET WILL NEVER SEE.

FOR COLUMBIA RADIO NEWS, I'M NANCY FARGHALLI