Friday, October 2, 2015

GEORGIA PUBLIC RADIO GAINING MOMENTUM IN ATLANTA


Today we have Nielsen Audio PPM estimates for September 2015 in five more essential noncom markets: Atlanta, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver and Austin. As essential noncom markets they have substantial noncommercial radio listening, raise significant money and have a variety of noncom formats.

The charts below compare the September numbers with Fall 2014, roughly a year ago.

FORMAT NAME UPDATE: I am now using the term Progressive Rock instead of Triple A, AAA, A3 or “Music Discovery,” etc. Progressive Rock is easy to say and understand.  It is proud term that resonates with listeners in within the biz.

FEATURED MARKET
ATLANTA
Nielsen Audio Market #9

WRAS, Georgia Public Broadcasting’s (GPB) part time full signal in Atlanta appears to be gaining on WABE.  Without deeper access to Atlanta PPM report, it is hard to say for certain that NPR News listeners are moving from WABE to WRAS. But this is what appears to be happening.

I still consider WABE to be a dual format station because they average over 10 hours of classical music each day.  Lois Reitzes’ program City Lights is often a classical music showcase.

WRAS programming is split daily: NPR News from 5am to 7pm and CMJ-style rock by Georgia State University students from 7pm to 5am.  This is an unhappy situation for GPB and the GSU students. But it is better than nothing.

WRAS’s weekly cumulative listeners has almost doubled in their first year. I have highlighted key trends in yellow.

STATION
FORMAT
FALL 2014
AQH %
SEPT 2015
AQH %
TREND
WABE
NPR News
& Classical
3.4
2.6
- 0.8
WCLK
Jazz
1.2
1.3
+ 0.1
WRAS
NPR News
& CMJ Rock
0.3
0.6
+ 0.3

STATION
FORMAT
FALL 2014
WEEKLY
CUME
SEPT 2015
WEEKLY
CUME
TREND
WABE
NPR News
& Classical
399,600
362,400
- 37,200
WCLK
Jazz
163,500
179,900
+ 16,400
WRAS
NPR News
& CMJ Rock
61,200
104,600
+ 43,400

WABE is heavily invested in local programs in the hours between Morning Edition and ATC. WRAS airs proven national programs during the middays. Here is a look at the midday programming on both stations.

TIME
WABE
WRAS
10:00am –11:00am
BBC Newshour
On Point
11:00am - Noon
City Lights With Lois Reitzes
On Point
Noon –
1:00pm
Closer Look
The Takeaway
1:00pm – 2:00pm
Closer Look
Here & Now
2:00pm – 3:00pm
Fresh Air
Here & Now
Friday: Science Friday
3:00pm – 4:00pm
BBC Newshour
Fresh Air
Friday: Political Rewind
(local interviews)

FORMAT TRENDS

In the 10 markets we’ve examined yesterday and today, classical is the biggest looser of listeners.  The weekly cume fell for classical stations in all 10 markets.

Jazz and CCM both looked solid and made some gains. The September book was a mixed bag for NPR News and Progressive Rock stations.

SAN FRANCISCO
Nielsen Audio Market #4

STATION
FORMAT
FALL 2014
AQH %
SEPT 2015
AQH %
TREND
KQED
NPR News
5.1
4.6
- 0.5
KDFC
Classical
2.2
1.7
- 0.5
KALW
NPR News
0.3
0.4
+ 0.1

STATION
FORMAT
FALL 2014
WEEKLY
CUME
SEPT 2015
WEEKLY
CUME
TREND
KQED
NPR News
733,300
694,100
- 39,200
KDFC
Classical
350,200
330,900
- 19,300
KALW
NPR News
84,800
98,800
+ 14,000

SEATTLE - TACOMA
Nielsen Audio Market #13

STATION
FORMAT
FALL 2014
AQH %
SEPT 2015
AQH %
TREND
KUOW
NPR News
4.1
3.8
- 0.3
KPLU
NPR News
`& Jazz
3.1
2.6
- 0.5
KING
Classical
3.5
2.8
- 0.7
KEXP
Progressive Rock
1.2
1.1
- 0.1
KBCS
Pacifica & Eclectic Music
0.5
0.3
- 0.2

STATION
FORMAT
FALL 2014
WEEKLY
CUME
SEPT 2015
WEEKLY
CUME
TREND
KUOW
NPR News
302,400
339,400
+ 37,000
KPLU
NPR News
& Jazz
299,500
317,200
+ 17,700
KING
Classical
307,800
262,000
- 45,800
KEXP
Progressive Rock
132,300
139,400
+ 7,100
KBCS
Pacifica & Eclectic Music
53,900
43,100
- 10,800

DENVER - BOULDER
Nielsen Audio Market #18

STATION
FORMAT
FALL 2014
AQH %
SEPT 2015
AQH %
TREND
KCFR
NPR News
5.1
4.4
- 0.7
KLDV
CCM
4.1
4.1

KVOD
Classical
1.0
0.8
- 0.2
KUVO
Jazz
0.9
0.5
- 4.0
KUNC*
NPR News &
Progressive Rock
0.5
0.2
- 0.3
KVOQ
Progressive Rock
--
0.2
New Station
* KUNC is in the Fort Collins – Greeley Metro

STATION
FORMAT
FALL 2014
WEEKLY
CUME
SEPT 2015
WEEKLY
CUME
TREND
KCFR
NPR News
298,400
273,000
- 25,400
KLDV
CCM
324,600
336,500
+ 11,900
KVOD
Classical
120,700
111,100
- 9,600
KUVO
Jazz
110,100
77,900
- 32,200
KUNC*
NPR News &
Progressive Rock
69,800
42,700
- 27,100
KVOQ
Progressive Rock
--
54,000
New Station
* KUNC is in the Fort Collins – Greeley Metro

AUSTIN
Nielsen Audio Market #35

STATION
FORMAT
FALL 2014
AQH %
SEPT 2015
AQH %
TREND
KUT
NPR News
4.4
5.1
- 0.5
KUTX
Progressive Rock
1.5
1.4
- 0.1
KMFA
Classical
1.3
1.3

KDRP
Alt Country
0.6
0.6


STATION
FORMAT
FALL 2014
WEEKLY
CUME
SEPT 2015
WEEKLY
CUME
TREND
KUT
NPR News
200,100
195,800
- 4,300
KUTX
Progressive Rock
90,500
90,500

KMFA
Classical
83,700
67,300
- 16,400
KDRP
Alt Country
33,200
36,400
+ 3,200