I
still love commercial radio though now I look at it from a different
perspective. The gap between what commercial radio is doing and what
noncommercial public radio is doing has never been wider. Noncom is concerned
about content innovation on multiple platforms; commercial radio is about
shareholders, stock prices and debt. That is why is am calling this post “The
Debtor’s Corner.”
Tom Taylor |
Yesterday
I was reading Tom Taylor’s NOW newsletter [link] and it occurred to me that I
seldom hear commercial radio folks talking about programming.
I consider Taylor
to be best reporter on the “radio beat." He knows who his audience is what
they are thinking about.
So
I decided to do a Content Analysis of Taylor’s most recent newsletters to see
what is on the mind of commercial radio’s owners and managers. The chart on the
right shows the story count, by topic, for Taylor’s October 23, 24 and 25
newsletters.
Tom
calls NOW Radio’s Daily Management
Newsletter, so I assume that it reflects what is on the mind of the people
who make commercial radio happen. Programming is way down on the list.
But,
isn't programming what listeners care about?
Commercial radio’s lack of interest
in the quality of their product is their biggest weakness and is a gift to
public radio.
Commercial
broadcasters are noticing public radio’s success, particularly the rise in
listening to NPR News/Talk stations. According to a press release from NPR,
public radio News/Talk programming now reaches 37.7 million people in a typical
week.
PROGRAM TO WATCH: CBS
RADIO’S THE TAKEOUT
The Takeout [link] is hosted CBS
News White House Correspondent Major Garrett. It began as a podcast and now is
a weekly one-hour syndicated radio program.
The Takeout is an interview show,
recorded live-to-tape, from a different restaurant each week. A recent edition
of The Takeout featuring Energy
Secretary Rick Perry was recorded at a Dunkin’ Donuts. Garrett and side-kick Steve
Chaggaris, CBS News’ Political Director, talk about issues of the day while
munching on donuts.
The
conversation is newsy and friendly. The format allows Garrett to ask questions
not heard at press conferences. There is none of the typical commercial radio
talk show hyperbole.
Does
The Takeout have public radio’s
sensibility? It might if desire is considered. Garrett sounds joyful, like a
man who has just been released from detention. He told a local reporter:
Major Garrett |
“I open every show the
same way: ‘Welcome to the very best part of my broadcast week.’ The Takeout’ is
a dream come true for me. It’s a show Steve and I created so we could listen
to, learn about and travel the ideological roads of American politics.”
Other
recent guests include Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and
Budget; Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT); Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN); Rep. Will Hurd
(R-TX); Sen. Al Franken (D-MN); Carly Fiorina; Gov. Martin O’Malley (D-MD);
Corey Lewandowski; and comedian Samantha Bee.
The
Takeout debuted as a national radio program on October 20, on KMOX, St. Louis;
WCCO-AM, Minneapolis; KXNT, Las Vegas and WTMJ Milwaukee.
WATCHING THE CBS RADIO –
ENTERCOM MERGER
Speaking
of CBS Radio, you may be aware that it is being split off from CBS TV. CBS
Radio news and their owned and operated radio stations are being acquired (some
call it a “merger”) by Entercom, a publicly traded commercial broadcaster.
The deal will be finalized on November 17th.
One
reason the CBS Radio/Entercom merger is of interest to public radio folks is
that it involves several of the nation’s biggest commercial radio News/Talk
stations, including WCBS, New York; KNX, Los Angeles; WCFS-FM & WBBM-AM,
Chicago; KFRC-FM & KCBS-AM, San Francisco; KYW in Philadelphia; WCCO,
Minneapolis. The new combined company will have a nationwide footprint of 235
stations, including stations in 22 of the top 25 U.S. markets.
Like
many commercial chains, Entercom is dealing with debt payments but their
obligations are not as large as iHeartMedia (whose debt is reportedly more than
$1 billion) and Cumulus Media.
Entercom’s
intentions for the big News/Talk stations are not known. A friend of mine who
has worked many years for CBS Radio says they are very aware of the growing
impact of NPR News and want to beef up local coverage to compete.
PRAISE FOR NPR STATIONS ON
COMMERCIAL STATION KIRO, SEATTLE
Frank
Catalano, a contributor to GeekWire’s
weekly tech show on KIRO, Seattle [link], recently commented on NPR’s success
nationally and locally.
You can hear and/or read Catalano’s complete commentary here.
Here
are a few excerpts from Catalano’s commentary on KIRO:
HEADLINE: Public radio’s digital moment: Smartphones,
streaming, and the future of listening
Frank Catalano |
Public radio and digital
tech are having a moment. Not only has National Public Radio listenership hit an all-time high, NPR podcasts and digital content have spiked in popularity.
Meanwhile, Seattle-area public broadcasters focusing on classical, indie rock,
jazz, and news are diving deeply into streams, podcasts, and video to reach new
audiences in new ways.
Matt Martinez, director
of content for news and jazz KNKX Tacoma/Seattle, told GeekWire that the definition of “radio”
is expanding:
‘On my phone…I just put it on my speaker. [It
is] streaming audio with well-crafted stories, solid news and information,
well-curated music.”
KNKX…has done its share
of turning new digital fields. Martinez points to its Jazz24 stream, which continues to
grow after nearly a decade, he said, calling it “still one of the
most listened to music streams in public media.
While the online
audiences…pale in comparison to those for on-air broadcasts, digital listeners
tend to be younger. “The average public radio age, and I think it’s true for
our station, is right around 54,” Martinez said. “Sixty-five percent of the NPR
podcast audience is between 24 and 44.”
iHeart's debt is actually over $20 billion. Yes, "billion" with a "B". (!!!!) As Everett Dirksen famously said, "A billion here, a billion there...pretty soon you're talking about *real* money."
ReplyDelete(actually he didn't quite say that, but was apparently delighted that the misquote was attributed to him)