Friday, January 8, 2016

PUBLIC RADIO NEWS DIRECTORS ORGANIZATION CONSIDERS NAME CHANGE



In a message to its membership, the Public Radio News Directors – better known as PRNDI aka “PRIN-dee” – announced that it is considering changing its name to the Association of Public Media Journalists.  Perhaps the acronym APMJ is just around the corner.


The name change may also signify a change in the focus the organization. Time will tell if it is just a new name or a strategic expansion of the scope of its mission and membership.

Not long ago media job titles were predictable.  Public radio stations had General Managers, Program Directors, News Directors, etc. In the new multi-platform, multiple device communications landscape, just plain “radio” seems too limiting.  Many stations and organizations have simply deleted “radio” and replaced it with “media” without changing the purpose of the entity. Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn’t.

Maria Muldaur

When Vivian Schiller was CEO of NPR, she tried to take “radio” out of the company name.  It hasn’t caught on. NPR is still “National Public Radio” to most folks.  The Development Exchange became “Greater Public” to expand its membership and mission to include public television and other noncom media. Results have been mixed. The term “radio” may be retro but it still has power because it is direct, specific and describes audio communication.

What the organization does, and the value it brings to its members, is more important than a new name.  As Maria Muldaur sings: It ain’t the meat, its the motion.

WHO ARE PUBLIC MEDIA JOURNALISTS?

The essential question for PRNDI is whether changing their name to the Association of Public Media Journalists means it will try to become a larger organization that embraces folks working in other noncom media. PRNDI president George Bodarky puts it this way:

George Bodarky

 To the outside world, the name [PRNDI] indicates we’re simply a “club” of public radio news directors. But, as those of us on the inside know, PRNDI is an organization that represents all journalists in public radio newsrooms.



So, is the organization’s scope only folks in public radio newsrooms? Apparently not. Bodarky says the goal is to make PRNDI/APMJ the premiere trade organization for public media journalists. The goal, according to Bodarky’s message to current PRNDI members is to attract television and digital media journalists to the annual conference and perhaps encourage them to join the organization.

Here is the problem: The new members can’t be voting members. Bodarky explains:

We would still operate under the “one station, one vote” policy. That said, we believe the membership may want to consider revising the rules in the future. [The] name change could better reflect the make-up of the board since last year the membership voted to allow public radio newsroom staffers who are not "news directors" to serve in the at-large positions.  

Bodarky is referring to PRNDI’s current system where stations, not individuals, determine policy. In PRNDI’s governance system, each member station – regardless of market size or staff size – gets one vote.  So, South Dakota Public Radio has the same voting impact as WBUR.

PRNDI will consider the name change at a business meeting in June 2016 at the annual conference in St. Louis.  In the meantime, Bodarky is asking for feedback.  His email is gbodarky@wfuv.org.

Thursday, January 7, 2016

KCRW, THE BRIDGE & WSGE SHOW MAJOR LISTENING GAINS IN TRIPLE A TREND COMPARISONS


Triple A stations are showing important gains in weekly listeners when comparing just released Nielsen Audio PPM ratings for Fall 2015 to Fall 2014. Eleven of the 20 stations we tracked gained estimated weekly listeners over the past year.  Nine stations saw declines in weekly listeners.

 KCRW continued to increase its market share and weekly listeners.  Without seeing the hour-by-hour data it is hard to say whether the gains can be attributed to music programming our NPR News magazines. But, the visibility of progressive music is increasing in SoCal.

KTBG – The Bridge – finally is getting the bump they deserve in Kansas City.  They continue to make inroads into the KC market.  WSGE, serving Charlotte, is also is showing promise.

WFUV, WTMD and WERS had the biggest declines in weekly listeners.

TRIPLE A NONCOMMERCIAL STATIONS
NIELSEN AUDIO PPM MARKETS • FALL 2015 & FALL 2014

WEELY CUMULATIVE LISTENERS • RANKED BY WEEKLY CUME

Notable changes are highlighted.

RK
MARKET
CALLS
FALL 2014 WEEKLY CUME
FALL 2015 WEEKLY CUME
ONE YEAR TREND
2
Los Angeles
KCRW*
448,200
661,800
+ 32%
1
New York
WFUV
416,800
321,400
- 22%
16
Minneapolis
KCMP
294,700
297,100
+ 1%
5
Dallas
KKXT
263,200
248,600
- 9%
8
Philadelphia
WXPN
244,900
245,100
+ 1%
10
Boston
WERS
210,300
167,500
- 20%
13
Seattle
KEXP
132,300
139,100
+ 4%
26
Pittsburgh
WYEP
97,700
94,600
- 2%
35
Austin
KUTX
90,500
93,200
+ 3%
37
Columbus
WCBE*
79,500
74,000
- 7%
18
Denver
KUNC*
69,800
72,900
+ 4%
21
Baltimore
WTMD
88,100
71,700
- 18%
40
Milwaukee
WYMS
65,600
64,500
- <1%
29
Salt Lake City
KRCL
63,500
58,900
- 7%
30
Cincinnati
WNKU
55,200
58,100
+ 5%
18
Denver
KVOQ
NEW STATION
51,500

34
Kansas City
KTBG
35,600
50,400
+ 29%
35
Austin
KDRP
33,200
44,500
+ 25%
10
Boston
WUMB
44,100
41,500
- 5%
40
Milwaukee
WMSE
26,800
31,000
+ 13%
24
Charlotte
WSGE
19,800
26,300
+ 24%
* Station also airs Morning Edition & ATC

TRIPLE A NONCOMMERCIAL STATIONS
NIELSEN AUDIO PPM MARKETS • FALL 2015 & FALL 2014

WEEKLY AVERAGE-QUARTER-HOUR (AQH) LISTENING SHARES

Notable changes are highlighted.

RK
MARKET
CALLS
FALL 2014 AQH (%)
FALL 2015 AQH (%)
ONE YEAR TREND
35
Austin
KUTX
1.5
1.5

35
Austin
KDRP
0.6
0.5
- 0.1
21
Baltimore
WTMD
1.2
0.5
- 0.7
10
Boston
WERS
0.9
0.6
- 0.3
10
Boston
WUMB
0.2
0.2

24
Charlotte
WSGE
0.1
0.4
+ 0.3
30
Cincinnati
WNKU
0.4
0.4

37
Columbus
WCBE*
1.2
0.9
- 0.3
5
Dallas
KKXT
1.1
1.0
- 0.1
18
Denver
KVOQ
NEW STATION
0.2

18
Denver
KUNC*
0.5
0.5

34
Kansas City
KTBG
0.4
0.6
+ 0.2
2
Los Angeles
KCRW*
1.3
1.8
+ 0.5
40
Milwaukee
WMSE
0.3
0.2
- 0.1
40
Milwaukee
WYMS
0.8
1.0
+ 0.2
16
Minneapolis
KCMP
3.1
2.5
- 0.6
1
New York
WFUV
0.6
0.5
- 0.1
8
Philadelphia
WXPN
1.2
1.3
+ 0.1
26
Pittsburgh
WYEP
0.9
1.0
+ 0.1
29
Salt Lake City
KRCL
1.0
0.4
- 0.6
13
Seattle
KEXP
1.2
0.9
- 0.3
* Station also airs Morning Edition & ATC

These data are provided for use by Nielsen subscribers ONLY,
in accordance with RRC's limited license with Nielsen Inc.
Monday-Sunday 6AM-Midnight Persons 6+

Data Copyright Nielsen Inc. Format distinctions are the sole responsibility of
Ken Mills Agency, LCC, the publisher of SPARK!