NONCOM MARKET PROFILE: BALTIMORE

A reader sent me a request for a profile of noncommercial radio in the Baltimore, Maryland market.  I love to compile this data because it is a great way to learn about an area. 

I have done a number of market profiles for feasibility studies. My typical fee for this work is $3,000 - $5,000.  Today’s profile is a freebie. Please suggest more markets to profile at publicradio@hotmail.com.

MARKET PROFILE: BALTIMORE

METRO POPULATION: 780,000

MEDIAN HOME COST: $255,000

MEDIAN AGE: 39.0 (US MEDIAN: 36.4)

% ADULTS COLLEGE GRADUATES: 32.8 (US %: 27.2)

BALTIMORE NONCOMMERCIAL RADIO DIAL

Nielsen Audio Market Rank: 21

FREQ	CALLS	FORMAT	SUMMER 2015 AQH %	SUMMER 2015 WEEKLY LISTENERS	ESTIMATED ANNUAL BUDGET
88.1	WYPR	NPR News	1.6	114,700	$5,000,000
88.5	WAMU*	NPR News	1.2	79,300	$22,000,000
88.9	WEAA	Jazz	NA	NA	$1,800,000
89.7	WTMD	Triple A	0.7	68,000	$1,900,000
90.5	WKHS	Students/WXPN Simulcast	NA	NA	NA
91.5	WBJC	Classical	1.2	99,400	$2,000,000
91.9	WGTS*	CCM	0.6	95,000	NA
93.5	WTTZ-LP	Traffic & Road Conditions	NA	NA	NA

* Washington DC Metro Station

Data Sources: Nielsen Audio PPM Summer 2015, CPB, IRS 990 Filings, US Census

NONCOMMERCIAL RADIO MARKET DISCUSSION

Noncommercial broadcasters in Baltimore face the challenge of competing with stations from nearby Washington, DC.  DC is a boom market that is expanding in both area and population.  It is not unusual for a person who lives in Baltimore to commute daily to DC for work. “Local” means different things to different people in Baltimore. Many people in the Baltimore area would say WAMU is a local station.

There has been little change in the Baltimore noncom radio dial in the past few years. WBJC has been the classical mainstay for three decades.  WEAA has been serving jazz listeners for almost as long.

WTMD is a relative newcomer.  It switched to a professional Triple A format under the leadership of Steve Yasko about a decade ago.

Also about a decade ago, WYPR became a 501c3 organization and took over WJHU from Johns Hopkins University.

WYPR, WBJC, WTMD and WEAA all appear to be successful financially. No format changes are expected in the next five years.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR WKHS

WKHS is a wild card in the Baltimore noncom market. It has the potential to be a bigger factor. 

It puts a decent signal into most of the Baltimore metro:

WKHS is licensed to the Kent County School Board in Worton, Maryland. The station operates 24/7 with high school students, a handful of community volunteers and simulcasts of WXPN, Philadelphia. According to WKHS’ website [link] WXPN is on WKHS overnight and other times when students or volunteers are not available.

Because the lack of consistency in programming WKHS likely has very few core listeners. All five of the major noncom formats (NPR News, Triple A, Classical, Jazz and Christian Contemporary Music “CCM”) are present in the market.

MY ADVICE

1. Move the transmitter west, across Chesapeake Bay, to reach the entire metro.

2. No matter what format is chosen, have it air 24/7.

3. Establish a physical presence in Baltimore.

4. Best format option: CCM.  There is no CCM station with a uniquely Baltimore perspective.