NIELSEN AUDIO DIARY MARKETS: TOP PERFORMING NPR NEWS STATIONS

Stations in Chart One are ranked by their Weekly Cumulative Rating, a measure of the proportion of the station’s share of all metro radio listening.  Scroll below for my comments and stations with the lowest cume ratings.

ARBITRON FALL 2014 TOP-LINE ESTIMATES

Monday-Sunday 6AM-Midnight Persons 12+
Data Copyright Arbitron Inc. Courtesy RRC

These data are provided for use by Arbitron subscribers ONLY, in accordance with RRC's limited license with Arbitron Inc. Format classifications are the sole responsibility of Ken Mills.

I love college towns – wisdom and energy is in the air and on the air.  By my count, 15 of the top 20 stations are in places with major universities. 

 Most the lowest performers are in complex, multiple-signal markets, or in areas where the overall education level is lower than average.

So what is up with KWBU in Waco?  They are the only NPR News game in town. Baylor is a great university, so there must be ways to be a bigger factor. Imagine what they could be doing with this signal and Waco’s terrain: