Friday, August 12, 2016

WHY RADIO IS SO RESILIENT, PART TWO


Adapted from a story originally posted on Monday, February 22, 2016.

There have been quite a few comments about my post on Tuesday [link] about various charts and graphs showing media usage.  Also, I’ve been reviewing Spring 2016 Nielsen Audio Diary market ratings. From what I’ve seen, radio is still hanging in there despite our constantly growing multi-platform multi-channel choices.

Baba Ram Das

Still, the predictions of the death of radio persist. Some folks want to live in a future they imagine.  Others want to Be Here Now. The phrase was coined by philosopher Baba Ram Das. [It is not often I get to quote stuff from my “underground” radio days.]

The essence of Be Here Now is to focus on what is happening in the current moment.  Of course, it is important to know the direction of the forest because it helps us plan for the future. But dwelling on life as it may be someday is as counter-productive as living in the past.

There is no doubt that digital technologies have changed the landscape for radio and other “old media.” Some traditional platforms such as magazines and newspapers are mere shadows of their former selves. However, two traditional “old” platforms – radio and TV – continue to be prominent in American life.

The two charts on the right reflect what I am talking about. The first chart is from Nielsen Audio’s most recent Comparable Metrics report.  Nielsen periodically publishes these cross-platform studies based on data for all of the platforms they track.  As you can see, broadcast radio and TV are widely used by adults of all ages. Radio even out-performs TV with folks ages 18 to 34.


The second chart, from Edison Research and Triton Digital, tracks the sources used to stay up-to-date on music – aka “Music Discovery.” Radio remains the top platform for this activity.  No single digital platform tops the bulk delivery of radio.  I think the data in this chart is important because “music discovery” is an active, listener-driven choice.  It is what people are doing right now. You can’t deny it, so Be Here Now.

THE CORE ATTRIBUTES OF RADIO

• CONTENT – People seek out what they want to see and hear based on its appeal and value to them. Radio has content that many people want experience frequently. Digital music services are getting hip to the value of curation and human voices.

• CONVENIENCE – Radio is King of the Car for good reasons: It offers information and entertainment with the least amount of work for the driver. Even though devices in “connected cars” can take you anywhere and do almost everything, traffic, weather and news is what people often want now.

• HABIT – Listening to the radio is a comfortable and familiar habit for many folks, particularly those over the age of 40. People change some habits over time but they don't change all of them. People keep habits that provide them value.

• COMPATIBILITY WITH OTHER PLATFORMS – Radio is a “close cousin” to many digital platforms and devices. In many ways, digital audio is still “radio” – voices and music coming from a box. Radio is adding video components, interaction and social media with increased sophistication. The ability to reach listeners via digital platforms increases audience reach and impact.

• LIVE MOMENTS – This may be radio’s least used asset.  It is all about Be Here Now. Examples range from the Super Bowl to “sig alerts” on the 405 to the latest about a great band coming to a club near you. It is exciting to be part of something when the outcome is unknown.

• IT’S FREE – “Free” is one of radio’s most powerful marketing advantages, particularly noncommercial public radio. The digital universe has become a non-stop shopping experience. Tracking, tollbooths, pop-ups and spam are everywhere. Radio is on digital platforms but it also is available directly via unwired signals.  A person doesn’t leave a footprint when listening to broadcast radio.

THE BIGGEST THREAT TO RADIO IS RADIO

The quickest way to kill radio is to not invest in new programming. Cable TV channels and streaming video producers have lots of new stuff in development. House of Cards didn’t happen over night – it took effort, time and money. Radio, including noncom public radio, invests too little time and resources developing new programming and grooming new talent.

Perhaps too much time and resources are being spent on peripheral activities like podcasting. Podcasts are certainly an important part of the media menu but they reach only a small fraction of the people hearing radio.

So Be Here Now is important for the future of radio.

Thursday, August 11, 2016

TOP 20 NONCOMMERCIAL STATIONS IN DIARY MARKETS




The Radio Research Consortium (RRC) is now almost finished distributing results from Nielsen Audio Diary markets for Spring 2016. As you probably know, Nielsen still uses written diaries to obtain in-tab listening in medium size and smaller markets. We are comparing estimated weekly cumulative listeners in Spring 2016 with Spring 2015.

Full-time NPR News stations (11) comprise over half of the Top 20.  There are 4 dual format stations, mainly NPR News & Classical.  Four of the Top 20 air Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) and one is full-time Classical music.



Most of the stations in the Top 20 added new estimated weekly listeners in the year since Spring 2015. Fourteen (70%) gained weekly listeners and 6 (30%) lost weekly listeners.

Stations airing NPR News are probably getting a “bump” from coverage of politics. The task now will be to keep these folks coming back after the elections.

Note stations in the Top 20 who far exceed their market size. WVPR – Vermont Public Radio News – is in Burlington, Nielsen audio market #144. They have more estimated weekly listeners than WFPL, Louisville (#55), WBFO, Buffalo (#57), KUAZ, Tucson (#62) and WAMC, Albany (#65).

Please keep in mind that Nielsen only published data for stations that subscribe to the ratings. Look for complete Diary market by format next week on Spark! starting with Triple A stations on Monday 8/15.

PRAISE FOR STEVE ROBINSON AS HE RETIRES FROM WFMT

Earlier this week Chicago Tribune media writer Robert Feder broke the news [link] that Steve Robinson is stepping down after 16 years as executive vice president and general manager of classical WFMT. Robinson told Feder: 

Steve Robinson


Working at WFMT and the WFMT Radio Network has been the greatest privilege and challenge of my career. When people ask, ‘Oh, you run WFMT?’ I always say, ‘No, I run after it.’ And that’s because everyone at WFMT is immensely creative, knowledgeable, and passionate about their work, and all I’ve really done is try to harness this incredible talent to move the station forward.




CHICAGOAN OF THE YEAR!

Praise for Robinson is now pouring in.  The Chicago Business Journal [link] said:

Robinson was adamant in his efforts to ensure WFMT stood apart. [His] on-air announcers were a breed unto themselves — seemingly taking great delight every time they were required to effortlessly rattle off the fiendishly difficult names of classical music composers and artists.

Classical industry observers credited Robinson for occasionally airing obscure and challenging pieces. Business folks mentioned his strength in planning and hosting WFMT’s pledge drives that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in short periods of time. Radio biz folks cite his work on the WFMT Radio Network, a syndication service that is thriving.

Though he was born and raised in Boston, Robinson embraced Chicago like a native.  In 2007, the Chicago Tribune named him  “Chicagoan of the Year” in part because of his work to establish the Studs Terkel Radio Archive in conjunction with the Chicago History Museum.

THE JOURNEY FROM NEBRASKA TO ST. LOUIS AVENUE

I first got to know Steve Robinson in the early 2000s when he was head of Nebraska Public Radio Network and general manager of KUCV in Lincoln, Nebraska. I was in Lincoln doing consulting work for a client and I stopped by KUCV to see him.

That visit began a conversation with Robinson we are still having to this day. Robinson has mentored hundreds of folks including future APM executive Chris Kotz who started out working for him in Lincoln.

Speaking of Nebraska, I saw this post about him on the Chicago Tribune website from reader Randall Bretz:

I applaud your paper for recognizing Steve Robinson. He's a spark that ignites those around him. I watched and worked with Steve as he took Nebraska Public Radio from a single signal in the Capitol City to a state-wide network that touched all the people in the state. He did it with enthusiasm and excitement that helped create a real gem in our broadcasting service for the state. We miss him. The people of Chicago are fortunate to have him!

Robinson’s last day at WFMT will be September 30th. After leaving the station he plans to “stretch his entrepreneurial wings

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

BEST NEW THING IN PUBLIC MEDIA: “NEXT” FROM NEW ENGLAND NEWS COLLABORATIVE


I am listening to the debut edition of NEXT, the new weekly regional news magazine and podcast from the New England News Collaborative (NENC) [link].  It is splendid! You can listen to NEXT at [link].
 

NEXT is hosted by WNPR’s John Dankosky, perhaps the best talk and interview strategist, producer and personality in the NPR system.  Dankosky is a master at finding topics and guests that resonate with listeners. He uses a straight-ahead approach and a tightly woven narrative to keep folks listening.


The second segment of the first show – Questioning Yankeedom – provides a summary of the purpose of NEXT and NENC. Here is a portion of the segment description:

Imagine a map of the United States that’s not divided into 50 states — a map where eleven distinct “nations” sprawl for hundreds, maybe thousands of miles, connected not by our current governmental boundaries, but by a common culture. An America envisioned by historian Colin Woodard in his book, American Nations.

The map at right is from Woodward’s book. It shows the regional affinity of folks with common cultures, backgrounds, beliefs and behavior. One such place is Yankeedom, a swath of geography the stretches from Maine to Minnesota. One of the major parts of Yankeedom is New England, where the Yankees first settled and proliferated.

The common weave of New England is focus of NEXT.  Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maine are among America's oldest places. All are now experiencing profound change. New England has old rules, customs, and well-worn pathways. NEXT asks and answers questions like In what ways does New England really function as one large state, instead of a collection of tiny colonial outposts?

John Dankosky
NEXT is a weekly one-hour show that originates at WNPR in Hartford. It airs on WNPR’s stations Thursdays at 2pm and Sundays at 6pm; on Vermont Public Radio on Sundays at Noon; and on New Hampshire Public Radio Saturdays at 10pm.

The NENC is one of one several regional collaborations around the country advanced by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in conjunction with PRX, NPR and BBC. The collaborations reflect the wise leadership of former CPB radio executive Bruce Theriault, a person who has served public media well for over three decades.

For more information about NENC and NEXT, contact Executive Editor John Dankosky at (860) 275-7301 or jdankosky@wnpr.org.

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CONFERENCE UPDATE: AIR IS OFFERING NEW VOICES SCHOLARSHIPS TO THIRD COAST FESTIVAL

AIR is encouraging newbies involved with radio and podcasting to apply for scholarships to attend the Third Coast Festival November 11th – 13th in Chicago.  The scholarships make available up to $1,500 per person.  Applicants are not required to be AIR members. The deadline is August 29. More information about the AIR Scholarships is at [link].

You can learn more about sessions and fun events planned for Third Coast at [link]. It has been several years since I attended Third Coast but I have enjoyed it in the past. Third Coast is a unique public media gathering.  It is more about the "art" of creating audio than the “commerce” of audio.

Meanwhile, there is still is no word about what is being planned for the Public Radio Programmers conference (“the PRPD”) September 19th – 22nd in Phoenix. The PRPD site [link] said the conference overview would be provided by August 1st, then August 8th. PRPD is now promising the conference overview by August 12th.

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MARK RAMSEY ASKS AREN’T YOU TIRED OF PPM, YET?

I recommend two commentaries about Nielsen Audio’s PPM methodology by blogger/consultant Mark Ramsey [link] and journalist/historian Tom Taylor [link].
 
When Ramsey and Taylor talk I listen. They both are both asking: How many PPMs does Nielsen allow in one household? Answer – up to 16. 

NIELSEN PPM METER
Nielsen currently allows an in-tab household to have 13 Portable People Meters (PPM) including nine for people under the age of 17. Ramsey and Taylor say that such a high concentration of meters in one household may skew the results over several “books.” Ramsey comments:

This is one of those shockingly unfair and non-representative elements of PPM that broadcasters overlook far too easily.

Ramsey and Taylor say Nielsen is doing this to cut costs because it is cheaper to install and maintain multiple meters in one location.




Tuesday, August 9, 2016

TOP 10 MEDIA USAGE CHARTS & GRAPHS


Sometimes a good graphic illustration is the best way to convey complex information in a digestible package.  Other times, like today, it is fine way to fill a blog post with content.  Today’s post is a bit of both. 

I save charts and graphs that seem interesting at the time I saw them but I seldom get a chance to use them in a story.  Today I cleaned my closet of charts and graphs thst I’ve saved recently. I present them for your education and perhaps a laugh or two.

#10 – THE NEXT CONSUMER GENERATION

This slide comes from Holland Cooke’s presentation at the Talker’s Magazine conference a few weeks ago. It compares the size and age composition of US citizens in the Millennial and Baby Boomer generations.



#9 – WEEKLY REACH BY MEDIA DEVICES DISPLAY BY AGE GROUP

Nielsen Audio periodically publishes Comparable Metrics, a study of device and platform usage for the various stuff they measure.  In this slide and the next one you can see that radio is still hanging in there as a frequent media experience.


#8 – AVERAGE DAYS PER WEEK USAGE OF DEVICES


#7 – PERSONS USING RADIO BY TIME PERIOD

I created this chart several years ago for a client who didn’t understand that a program airing on a station on Saturday nights reaches fewer people than it would airing on a weekday a Noon.  They still didn’t believe me.

#6 – SHARE OF EAR

The most recent overview of media usage during an average day from Edison Research’s ongoing Share of Ear study.


#5 – WHY iTunes RADIO IS SUCH A SMART MOVE FOR APPLE

It is all about the Smartphones.


#4 – GOOD OLD RADIO TRUMPS ONLINE SERVICES FOR MUSIC DISCOVERY



#3 – HOW FREQUENTLY PEOPLE LISTENING TO RADIO CHANGE THE STATION

This slide is from a presentation by Westwood One.  I thought people changed stations more frequently based on my own habits.


#2 – NPR PROGRAM MENU FROM 1975

Promotional slide used by NPR in 1975 to woo new stations.


#1 – SMARTPHONES & MILLENNIALS’ SEX LIVES

I used this slide from Coupofy a few weeks ago but I am still amazed by all aspects of this study.  Who are these people and where are the pictures?  Maybe this should be called TSSTime Spent Screwing.



Monday, August 8, 2016

WDET CHANGES THE GAME IN DETROIT WITH “CULTURE SHIFT”


A very interesting battle is emerging in Detroit. For many years WUOM and WDET have competed head-to-head with news programming.  Now WDET is taking a page from KCRW’s playbook by putting significant blocks of Triple A “music discovery” programming into the mix. The key is WDET’s new daily program Culture Shift, Monday – Friday Noon to 3pm [link].

There are a number of ways two NPR News stations in the same market coexist: In Boston both WBUR and WGBH look for advantages of local and national coverage; In Seattle KPLU’s Jazz programming is a strong contrast with all-news KUOW.  In LA, KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic is a signature show, unlike anything on all-news KPCC. Culture Shift reminds me most of Morning Becomes Eclectic.

Culture Shift hosts Travis Wright and Amanda LeClaire play tunes from a playlist of new and iconic artists with a special emphasis on Detroit’s musical legacy.  The Sample Playlist on the right demonstrates the vibe: Spicy tracks from John Lee Hooker and Jeff Buckley combined with can’t miss oldies from Elvis Costello and The Decemberists. Count me in as a fan!

In addition to great tunes, Wright and LeClaire present short features and interviews with musicians, chefs, poets, filmmakers, visual artists and storytellers  - the people who create and nurture Detroit culture.

Culture Shift presents a multi-platform curated calendar of events.  Wright and LeClaire provide recommendations of the most interesting upcoming events and places in the Detroit metro.  Listeners interact in real-time via Twitter and Instagram.

WDET created a cool YouTube video to introduce Culture Shift and the hosts:



Both WDET and WUOM are doing well.  According to estimates for June 2016 from Nielsen Audio, WUOM had 190.900 weekly cumulative listeners (up 21% from a year earlier), and WDET had 184,200 weekly listeners (up 26% from the previous year).

Ann Delisi
To me, one of the best shows on WDET is Ann Delisi’s Essential Music, heard Sundays from 11am to 2pm [link]. Delisi is an iconic Detroit music host, writer and scene-maker.



PODTRAC DEBUTS NEW PODCAST CHART

Podtrac [link], which claims to be the leading podcast measurement and advertising service, has debuted a new top podcast chart.  Public media//radio appears to be doing very, very well according to Podtrac’s initial chart:



WBUR GAINS NEW WEEKLY LISTENERS ON CAPE COD

Nielsen Audio data via RRC continues to roll in.  Today we have three markets (Cape Cod, Roanoke & Boise) where we compare estimated weekly listeners in Spring 2016 with Spring 2015.






I wish there was data available for Triple A WMVY but apparently they did not subscribe to this “book.”



WVTF’s two stations continue to add listeners in Roanoke and Lynchburg.  WNRN’s Lynchburg repeater WNRS has helped add new listeners.  We will have more about WNRN’s multi-market performance later this week.




The biggest change in Boise is not on this chart.  It is Tom Michael, the new GM of Boise State Radio after building the legendary KRTS in Marfa, Texas.  Best wishes for Tom’s continued success in the Gem City.

Monday-Sunday 6AM-Midnight Persons 12+
These data are provided for use by Nielsen subscribers ONLY,
in accordance with RRC's limited license with Nielsen Inc. Data Copyright Nielsen Inc. Format distinctions are the sole responsibility of Ken Mills Agency, LLC.