Jody
Evans, CEO of the Public Radio Program Directors association (PRPD) has
notified organization members that ideas for panels for the 2018 Public Radio
Content Conference (PRCC) are now being accepted. The PRCC [link] will be held August
20 – 23 in Austin, Texas.
Evans
said in her message to members:
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| Jody Evans |
“This year's Content
Conference will be the most format agnostic event in the organizations'
history. You will have main stage events that focus on how you can excel as a
manager and leader in a fragmented, time and attention-starved culture.”
We
asked Evans to tell us more about “format agnostic” and received this reply:
“The pressures of
competition, the fragmenting of time and attention, continue unabated. We have
to earn every relationship every day.
“The PRPD is focusing on
helping the content community be better leaders and managers. The principles of
leadership and management cross formats, hence, the focus on ideas, skills and
strategies that are format agnostic.”
If
you have session ideas, particularly ones for breakouts, send them to PRPD via the
submission template at link.
REMINDER: PUBLIC RADIO
TECH SURVEY 2018 DEADLINE FOR PARTNER STATIONS IS APRIL 30th
Jacobs
Media will be conducting the tenth annual Public
Radio Tech Survey (PRTS 2018)
later this spring. The results will be
distributed at the PRCC in August. Topline data will be released to the public
but station-specific findings are be available only to paying partners. Fees for
participating stations range from $350 to $550, depending on market size.
Jacobs
says PRTS 2018 will drill deep into the recent ratings increases for NPR
News/Talk stations. Also, PRTS 2018 will explore in-depth the growing use of
smart speakers, podcasting and whether the 24/7 news cycle will lead to more or less
engagement by public radio news listeners.
The
deadline for stations to sign up for PRTS 2018 is April 30th.
More information about PRTS 2018 can be found online [link]. To sign up, contact Lisa Riker
(lisariker@jacobsmedia.com).
Ever
the forward promoter, Fred Jacobs has been releasing individual slides from a
companion study – TechSurvey 2018 –
conducted with commercial radio listeners. Results from TechSurvey 2018 will be presented May 3rd at the
Worldwide Radio Summit, a commercial broadcaster conference, in Los Angeles.
Earlier
this week Jacobs released findings that apply to public radio as well as
commercial radio. The chart on the right shows respondents replies to the
question: One of radio’s primary
advantages is its local feel.
The vast majority of listeners agree that
local is a primary advantage for broadcast radio. Over the past three years the
importance of local feel by survey participants has
increased every year.
TODD MUNDT IS NOW THE
CHAIR OF THE PRPD BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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| Todd Mundt |
PRPD
announced that Todd Mundt, Managing Editor of WBUR’s Here & Now, has become
the new Chair of the organization’s Board of Directors.
Mundt is taking over the
job following the resignation KUT’s Hawk Mendenhall.
Also,
Jeff Ramirez, GM of KERA/KXT in Dallas, has been appointed by unanimous board
vote to Mendenhall’s now-vacant seat on the Board.
RECOMMENDED READING:
“FM Radio Is Here To Stay in the UK”
Paul
Riismandel from the college/community radio blog Radio Survivor, penned an interesting op-ed post
[link] about resistance in the UK to discontinuing FM broadcasting. The move was
partially in response to Norway’s decision to abandon FM and only broadcast in
digital.
Riismandel
reported that BBC management recently decided to keep analog FM radio alive in
the UK “for the foreseeable future.” Because of BBC’s high profile in the UK
and on the world broadcasting stage, the move will encourage other broadcasters
and regulators to stick with FM because the majority of listeners like it.
According
to Riismandel, compelling content is the key to success on any platform. He ended the post with a take-it-to the-bank statement:
Broadcasting
in digital doesn’t make crappy programming any better.
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