Friday, July 1, 2016

A NEEDED CORRECTION & READER COMMENTS


This is my 450th post since I started blogging in September 2014. I can’t recall making a major correction before today.
Bill Siemering
My purpose with SPARK! is to present news, opinions, discussion, theories and occasional humor, but what I report must be based upon facts. I am a believer in Bill Siemering’s first commandment to those of us in noncom public media:

(Paraphrasing St. Siemering) Public media is all about trust. Viewers, listeners and readers must trust that the water you pour is “pure,” that what you say is not compromised by money our hidden agendas. This begins with telling the truth.

Forgive me father, for I have sinned.  My sin is Sloth.


On Friday 6/24 I published [link] the story “Classical Music Rising” Is Gaining Momentum about the early stages of the new SRG-sponsored Classical project. In the post there is a chart titled Project Partners (as of June 21) Most Recent Nielsen Audio Ratings. It contained some inaccurate data.

I combined two lists of data to create the chart and didn’t double-check my work. About a third of the station numbers were not correct.  Below is the chart with the correct information.  I have also posted this update into the original post.


I try to make certain that stats (ratings, revenue, etc.) that appear in SPARK! are accurate. I regret any inconvenience or angst my error might have caused.

LISTENER COMMENTS

COMPARING KRCC WITH WUGA
 From a CONFIDENTIAL reader who asked not to be identified by name

Regarding the June 29 item [link] “WUGA IN ATHENS, GEORGIA MOVES TO MAINLY NPR NEWS, DROPPING CLASSICAL”

CONFIDENTIAL WRITES:

Well KRCC did something similar by dropping its afternoon music mix for the same shows.  Its all about consistency.   The smaller Public Radio stations are trending towards that. 

I prefer this because I don't care for the NPR News and related shows.  KRCC did have enough audience for many years for its main music programs and made money doing that.  But slowly the music shows have been secondary. 

KRCC needs a second station their for music programing.  They may be difficult because of the many Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) that do so well in the Springs.

Christian Music fans are just as loyal as Triple A music fans.  Trouble is Christian Music is more popular and has more fans. 

KEN SAYS:

I agree with many of your observations, particularly that format-focusing is moving quickly into small and medium size markets.  But, CCM being more popular than Triple A?  Maybe that is true in Colorado Springs where new folks must prove their born-again standing before entering the city but Triple A rules nationally.
______________

WHAT ABOUT JOHN HICKMAN?
 From reader RickC50

Regarding the June 21 post [link] “MURRAY HORWITZ RETURNS TO PUBLIC RADIO AS HOST OF “THE BIG BROADCAST”

RickC50 WRITES:

Shouldn’t you at least mention John Hickman who originated the show on WAMU? Ed Walker took his place after John passed away.

KEN SAYS:

Yes, I should have mentioned John Hickman but I was not aware of him before I received your message. Thank you for thinking of him.  Here is a portion of his obit from Washington Post  published in November, 1999:

John Hickman, 55, a radio historian and former program host at WAMU-FM was found dead Dec. 10 at his home in Gaithersburg. He had a stroke in 1990 and had suffered from seizures and other health complications since then.

Mr. Hickman joined the staff at WAMU-FM in 1964 when he created "Recollections," a program featuring vintage broadcasts from the "golden age of radio." This program later became "The Big Broadcast," which is WAMU's longest-running program.
_______________

WHAT GIVES WITH WERS & WUMB IN BOSTON?
 From an ANONYMOUS reader

Regarding the June 20 post [link] “WSGE, KUTX & WXPN MAKE NOTABLE GAINS IN ONE-YEAR TRIPLE A TRENDS” http://acrnewsfeed.blogspot.com/2016/06/wsge-kutx-wxpn-make-notable-gains-in.html

ANONYMOUS WRITES:


WERS and WUMB seem to be perpetually subject to wild swings in the ratings... One can, and probably should, point the finger at WUMB’s well-documented signal issues. The move of WUMB to that taller tower in Milton has made a world of difference for in-car listening...but it doesn’t change the fact that they are trying to cobble together a bunch of inferior signals to cover the whole Greater Boston region. That strategy is dubious at best. What is going on?

KEN SAYS:




I’ve noticed the same “wobbles.” In the case of WERS, their Modern Rock format has a lot of similarities to commercial rock stations like WBOS and WXRV. All three stations have lower time-spent-listening and higher listening-occasions because of the “trendiness” of the music.

Regarding WUMB, their listening is so small one or two listeners on the PPM “panel” can skew their numbers from book to book.  I don’t think it is a question of coverage area. WUMB’s metro signal penetration looks pretty good to me.



Thursday, June 30, 2016

SO MUCH AUDIO AVAILABLE & SO LITTLE TIME TO LISTEN TO IT


This is a revised version of a post that originally appeared Monday, July 6, 2015

I recommend a post by Paul Marszalek on his blog TheTop22.com [link]. In the article, Paul asks a great question: Is Podcasting in a Bubble and Will it Burst?
Is Podcasting in a bubble and when will it burst?
 
Paul Marszalek
Marszalek is a big-picture strategist.  He sees trends and looks beyond the hype of the moment. Paul co-founded a smart company – Media Mechanics - with partners Mike Henry and Ben Manilla. These are folks who intuitively know media and it’s role in our lives. He has seen lots of fads come and go.

With so much buzz and so much money being thrown around, the podcasting space is starting to feel a little like a tech bubble. How big can it get? Will it burst and when?

With so much good stuff – Serial, This American Life, WTF, Invisibilia, Radiolab, 99% Invisible, Freakonomics, Planet Money, The Moth and The Nerdist — just to name a few long-form podcasts. How much can we, folks with only 24 hours a day, consume this much audio.

SHARE OF EAR PUTS ALL AUDIO MEDIA INTO PERSPECTIVE

How do you divide your media day?  I tend to focus on what matters in the moment. Whenever I add a new media source/platform there is less time available for other stuff on my media menu. There are only 24 hours each day.

In November 2014 we reported on an Edison Research study called SHARE OF EAR [link]. SHARE OF EAR provides measurement of all audio consumption, including AM/FM radio stations, online radio stations, podcasts and even listeners’ own music collections.

SHARE OF EAR is important because it shows how audio platforms compete with each other for the listener’s “shelf space.” The study is based on a nationally representative sample of 2,096 Americans ages 13+ who completed a 24-hour audio listening diary during May 2014.

It reveals that Americans spend an average of 4 hours and 5 minutes each day consuming audio. This chart shows the top-line results of the study:




LISTENING TO AUDIO BOOKS CONTINUES TO GROW

According to another study from Edison Research [link], more than 40% of Americans ages 18 and older have ever listened to an audiobook, and in the last year fully 22% of Americans have enjoyed one (approximately 55 million persons). The research was unveiled in late May at an Audio Publishers Association event in New York [link].

In addition, the research shows that audiobooks are being consumed among younger adults in surprising numbers, aided by the digital device revolution. After all, says Edison VP Tom Webster, what’s the difference between an audiobook and a long podcast? Our research shows audiobooks are part of the same renaissance in audio consumption.”

Everyone seems to be scrambling to get a piece of The New Golden Age of Audio.

THERE WILL BE CASUALTIES…

Given this context, Marszalek observes:

The hit podcast Serial, a spinoff of This American Life has focused so much attention on the medium that [big] money is now entering the space, aggregators are cherry-picking the top indie podcasts…

It seems that [podcasting] is indeed having its moment right now – thanks largely to the high-end, expensive journalism, production values, and core values of public radio. Right now we’re listening to the best of the best. Will we have any time for the best of the rest?

In June 2015, the New York Times [link] reported:

The largest podcasting operations are attracting sizable audiences and advertising revenue. The ads work. Large and small advertisers report a significant upside to the campaigns they run on podcasts, and ad rates on top-tier podcasts approach $100 per thousand listeners, which is many times what it costs advertisers to reach audiences in most other digital formats.

TRANSLATION: Most podcasts are not reaching many people. Often you can count the number of listeners on your fingers.

FACT: Podcasts are not bulk audience delivery. They require a listener to have the time available and a deep interest in the program.

Marszalek adds an important caution for public media folks:

In television, we simultaneously develop tens of shows in hopes of finding a single hit. There are occasional exceptions. In radio, especially public radio, it tends to be more of a “all our eggs in one basket” approach, with very few programs in development and stakes riding high on the few that are. That’s a monster red flag – an approach that will not work in the current podcasting environment.



Wednesday, June 29, 2016

GOT BIG PLANS FOR THE FISCAL NEW YEAR?


This coming Friday at 12:01am 2016 becomes 2017.  Fiscal Year 2017, that is. For a variety of reasons, most public broadcasting companies operate on annual calendars that aren’t January through December. For many station folks the “new year” starts July 1st.

The changing Fiscal Year means all sorts of station changes, particularly regarding budgets and schedules. Every new program on the schedule means another program is being cancelled or moved. There will always be complaints, so get ready.

To learn the pulse of change, today we take a look at a small sample of stations:




WUGA IN ATHENS, GEORGIA MOVES TO MAINLY NPR NEWS, DROPPING CLASSICAL

As of June 13th, WUGA-FM dropped three hours weekday Classical music and added news and interview programming. Gone from 1:00pm – 3:00pm is the Afternoon Concert. In its place is NPR/WBUR’s Here & Now. PRI’s The Takeaway now airs from 3:00pm to 4:00pm. WUGA’s daily Classical music from 8:00pm – 9:00pm has been replaced with a strip of syndicated weekend programs such as To the Best of Our Knowledge and RadioLab.






Classical music fans are not happy.  A group of citizens has organized WUGA Friends [link] in an attempt to  bring Classical music back to WUGA. The tone is getting nasty.  On the right is an open letter from WUGA Friends to University officials.  Edits in the letter are mine.


The person who wrote this screed was trying the help but the in-your-face attitude is mean and desperate.


"We've got the law on our side?" Call your lawyer.  Wait, call your therapist.


For years I have kept a file of “This time I really mean it” memos and posts. Most of them should not have been sent, but they were. In the WUGA case, I don’t this letter will make much of a difference.



 WUGA is owned by the University of Georgia but is operated by Georgia Public Broadcasting based in Atlanta.










PEORIA: THE MOTH RADIO HOUR & SNAP JUDGEMENT REPLACE KEILLOR

Peoria Public Radio – dba WCBU – will fill the two-hour APHC slot with
The Moth Radio Hour & Snap Judgment.  WCBU is apparently not going to try APHC with its new host Chris Thile.

On Saturday mornings recently cancelled Whad’ Ya Know? Is being replaced with Ask Me Another and additional hour of Weekend Edition – Saturday.

WCBU’s Program Director Nathan Irwin some it up this way is a letter to station members:

Taken together, these two events herald a shake-up of Peoria Public Radio’s weekend programming. It also creates an opportunity for us to look at some newer programs, and think about what kind of listening experiences will define public radio for the next generations – much as A Prairie Home Companion and Whad ‘Ya Know? have helped define public radio now.

WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO FILLS THE Whad’ Ya Know? VOID WITH A NEW LOCAL PROGRAM

Wisconsin Public Radio’s (WPR) July programming changes include the addition of On Your Money with Joy Cardin and Kevin McKinley. It will air Saturdays at 10am. An additional hour of Weekend Edition – Saturday will air at 9:00am.

WPR is also adding a couple golden-oldies: Says You!, hosted by Barry Nolan and Travel with Rick Steves plus Ask Me Another and the CBC’s Podcast Playlist.



Tuesday, June 28, 2016

MARK RAMSEY REVEALS CHRISTIAN RADIO’S “SECRET SAUCE”


This is an updated version that first appeared September 14, 2015

Media consultant, blogger and scholar Mark Ramsey was a featured speaker at the 2015 Christian Music Broadcasters (CMB) Momentum conference

Last year, the CMB asked Ramsey to study  the best programming practices at CCM stations. Ramsey presented what learned at 2015 Momentum gathering.

[FYI – The 2016 CMB Momentum conference will be held September 7th  – 10th. Paul Jacobs is one of this year’s speakers. For more information go to link.]  


CMB is a noncom cousin of the Public Radio Program Directors Association (PRPD).  Momentum is CMB’s annual conference similar the annual PRPD conference.

DISCOVERING ""THE SECRET SAUCE"

One of the many things I admire about Ramsey is that he takes Christian Radio Broadcasters seriously, as you do I. The folks at CMB strive for radio znd digital excellence.

For the best practices study, Ramsey interviewed the leading managers and programmers at CCM noncom stations. He task was to identify the traits and strategies that make the stations successful.

The full results of Ramsey research were available only to CMB members. Thankfully, CMB allowed Ramsey to publish a top-line summary.  Here is a slide from Ramsey’s presentation:



The best practices for CCM stations are similar to stations in all music-driven formats:

• Play the hits, but keep new titles coming into rotation

• Feature new artists that the station can groom and promote 

• Talk frequently with fans of the music you play, learn devotees' evolving likes and dislikes

• Super-serve core listeners by being a daily part of their lives

• Use station events to add excitement and passion for your listeners

2015 STATION OF THE YEAR: KSBJ, HOUSTON

KSBJ, Houston, is often one of the most listened to noncom station in the nation, regardless of the format.

According to KSBJ’s most recent tax filing for 2013, KSBJ had revenue of $8,768,000. [Tax filings for 2013 is the source of all data, rounded to the nearest $1,000.]  Almost all of the station's revenue is attributed to gifts and contributions which were not itemized.

KSBJ reported expenses of $8,007,000 for an annual operating margin of $761,100.  KSBJ’s assets were $25,801,000, substantial for a nonprofit entity.  In 2013 KSBJ spent over $500,000 on political lobbying.

But wait, there is more money: KSBJ also operates a separate 501c3 for its concert business: KSBJ Special Events. This organization reported $1,787,000 in revenue and $1,669,000 in expenses for an annual operating margin of $88,000. KSBJ Special Events reported revenue of $8,376,000 since tax year 2009.

Wait again, there is even more money.  The exclusive ticket vendor for KSBJ Special Events is Ticket Servant, also operated by KSBJ. In 2013 Ticket Servant revenue was $329,800.

The total revenue for KSBJ Radio & Concerts in 2013 was almost $11,000,000. 





Monday, June 27, 2016

SAUL LEVINE SHOWS HE STILL LOVES CLASSICAL RADIO


Saul Levine
Saul Levine is one of my media heroes. He likes to promote the music he loves: Jazz and Classical. Levine’s company, Mt. Wilson Broadcasters, is a pioneer of FM radio in Los Angeles.

Mt. Wilson started KKGO-FM in the early 1960s. Thirty years later during the hyper-consolidation of the 1990s every other independent FM operator in Southern California had sold their licenses for monster money. Saul Levine held on and is still moving forward.

For many years KKGO was LA’s jazz voice. They had legendary hosts such as Chuck Niles.  I can close my eyes and still his voice in my mind from the times I went to his shows at the Hollywood Bowl.

In 1989, when Classical powerhouse KFAC was sold to a hip-hop operator. At the time I was GM at KCSN, Northridge. We flipped KCSN to classical. We did it because the loss of KFAC created a huge void in the market.  As the years went by, KKGO went Classical. KUSC got its act together. Since then KUSC became the dominant Classical music station in SoCal and NoCal.


Ever a smart operator, Levine knew when to hold them, knew when to fold them. He switched KKGO to Country. It is a big-money format that was open in LA .  Bingo!  Mt. Wilson hit the jackpot! 

There were many observers who criticized Levine for KKGO'S format change. They said he “sold out.”

I disagree. Saul was protecting his family business by keeping ownership of the license. Nothing is possible without the license. Saul made the programming move I would have done. Switching to Country preserved KKGO’s independent future. As a former commercial station owner myself, I admire him.

SAUL LEVINE BRINGS CLASSICAL TO MONTEREY BAY

Mt. Wilson has poured some of its Country music profits into acquiring and operating eclectic stations in smaller markets in the West. Levine has just sold one station and donated another to USC Radio.  USC owns KDFC, San Francisco, and the new outlets will repeat KDFC’s Classical programming.  

Levine sold KBOQ-FM, Seaside, for $475,000 to USC. It is a pretty solid Monterey metro player. He is donating KMZT-FM, which covers breath-taking and remote areas around Big Sur. (maps below)

(Levine also sold another area station – KYZZ (Salinas) and its translators to Educational Media Foundation (EMF) for $1.25 million cash. EMF plans on making them repeaters of satellite-delivered K-LOVE.)

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PROPOSED PURCHASE OF KUSP, SANTA CRUZ?

A little over a year ago KUSP was discussing the sale of KUSP to USC Radio for around $1 million.  Now they are again reportedly considering selling the license.  Now that million bucks is not going to happen.

Now Saul has made it possible for thousands of people to enjoy Classical on the radio.

MAPS
KBOQ:


KMZT: