Five million dollars.

That's how much money seven arts groups have saved by sharing the costs of marketing, advertising, ticketing, theater programs and collectively purchasing everything from office supplies to health care.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's shared services initiative, launched in 1999, could serve as a model for the city's three public radio stations if they decide to explore sharing support services to keep the stations financially vibrant.

It has saved money for the Trust, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh CLO, Pittsburgh Opera and the August Wilson Center for African American Culture.

Rona Nesbit, senior vice president of finance and administration for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, said other groups or events that benefit from the shared services model are the Pittsburgh Dance Council, the Pittsburgh International Children's Theater, Three Rivers Arts Festival and First Night. The dance council became part of the trust in 2003.

"Children's Theater and Dance Council, Three Rivers Arts Festival and First Night, for bookkeeping purposes, are all part of the Trust," Ms. Nesbit said. "The scale and scope of seven strong is a lot different than standing on your own."

Advertising initiatives, which list Cultural District events, appear in local publications such as Pittsburgh Magazine and Pittsburgh Quarterly. Businesses that wish to advertise in theater playbills deal with one sales person and receive one bill but can promote their products or services through different arts groups.

Tessitura, a new ticketing system installed in 2006, has been a boon to the Cultural District.

"It's a whole customer relationship management system. It integrates fundraising, ticketing and marketing," Ms. Nesbit said, adding that Tessitura replaced three separate systems, one for the symphony, one for Public Theater and a third for the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council.

"It's probably saved $1 million. In terms of what it has saved on an ongoing basis, I don't think we have clear data. We get calls all the time from other cities asking how it is set up, how we've been able to work it. Pittsburgh is now the largest multi-organizational user of this software in the world. That's out of 300 users."

Other arts groups on the Tessitura system are ProArts, City Theatre and Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures.

The shared services initiative has worked because, for the past decade, its member arts groups hold monthly meetings, one for chief executives, one for marketing directors and one for finance directors.

"It's not 'kumbaya' every day," Ms. Nesbit said, but the meetings have improved communication.

TV columnist Rob Owen's Tuned In+ is featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.