In
about three weeks public media folks will gather at the PRPD Content Conference
at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Austin, Texas. Conference activities begin on
Monday (8/20) and end on Thursday (8/23).
It is not too late to register for the conference. More information is available at [link].
Unfortunately
we won’t be able to attend this year.
But, as we have done in past years, we are providing recommendations for
sessions we would probably attend. A few
of these are “must attend” events.
When
attending conferences one of the first things we do is go over the agenda
item-by-item and highlight or top priorities. This helps because once a
conference begins, it is easy get caught up in the moment forget about something
we don’t want to miss.
On
Monday (8/20), after we register and get our swag bag. If time permits we walk
around the hotel and find the location of various activities, plus the coffee
shop and bar – two places we will likely visit sooner or later.
We
recommend jumping into conference by attending the Opening Night Reception. This year, the local hosts KUT and KUTX, have
chosen a terrific site: The historic studio from which Austin City Limits tapes
their program.
Tuesday
(8/21) is the first full day of the conference.
Things start with the keynote
address featuring Kate O’Neill, a tech
humanist who gets excellent reviews. You might not have heard of her – we
hadn’t before now – but if you are curious, don’t miss it.
Later
Tuesday morning we have to make a choice because there are two breakout
sessions and we’d like to attend both. We recommend both sessions.
 |
| Mike Reszler |
But, when it
comes down to the one to attend we’d chose How
to Stand Out in Today’s Competitive Landscape because moderator is Mike
Reszler, the head digital person at APM.
We’ve
seen Reszler’s presentation at other conferences and he is a gifted analyst and
researcher. Reszler gets it that most of the Content Conference attendees are
native to broadcasting and learning about digital platforms. Reszler talks in a
clear manner that includes few insider terms.
Plus, he is focused on providing takeaways.
We
usually want a free lunch. Folks who have attend PRPD conferences in the past
will probably notice that there are fewer meals provided to conference
attendees this year.
Conference meals are expensive to sponsor and some
organizations have cut back on expenses.
We
absolutely recommend attending the presentation by The Daily. First, it is one of
our favorite programs and it is always interesting to hear the worldview of
people who are doing new things.
We
also recommend PRI’s Showcase because they have assembled a remarkable
panel. Moderator Luke Burbank is always
entertaining. Kurt Anderson, the host of Studio 360, is a compelling thinker
with a perspective we value. Plus, Amy Walter from The Takeaway is an exciting
new voice in our biz.
We
know less about others on the panel but they are certainly worthy of your time
and attention as you sip a free beverage. Kudos to PRI for presenting this
newsy panel discussion.
Wednesday
(8/22) is perhaps the busiest day at the Content Conference.
If we were
attending this year, our first stop would probably be the noncomMusic Alliance
session.
We are Triple A fans and want to learn more about this important
project.
The
WFMT/KMFA coffee break is one of the very few live music sessions on this
year’s conference agenda.
“Early music” takes our mind off business and
transports us into the ethereal.
We’d
get stoned for this gathering if we were in Colorado…or California. Hint, hint.
Don’t
miss the APM free lunch – they typically have to best food. If the program is
boring you can always duck-out to check your messages.
All
three of the Breakout Sessions look interesting, but the “KPIs” look like a
much-needed new metric.
Absolutely
attend a format meeting. News/Talk
typically has the largest crowd but each is very valuable.
Don’t
miss the Snap Judgment party on
Wednesday evening. Glynn Washington is a fascinating host and sometimes there
are unexpected surprises.
On
Thursday (8/23) we recommend starting the conference day with Julie Amacher’s
strategy session.
At the mid-point we might check out the Immigration Coverage
session.
A must-attend session is being held from 11am to Noon.
The legendary NPR founder Bill Siemering will be joined by independent journalist
Ernesto Agular to discuss the American Archive of Public Broadcasting.
Do not miss the chance to see and hear
Siemering.
Just being in his presence makes
us glad we work in public media.
You will always remember this session.
Also Note: Jacob’s
Media will present Public Radio Tech Survey 2018 (PRTS 2018). According to a
note from PRPD CEO Jody Evans: PRTS will
be included in the general session “What is Public Radio's Big Tent Audience
Strategy?” as well as its own individual breakout session for a deep dive into
the findings.
We
recommend checking the Content Conference schedule for more information when you arrive
in Austin.
WWNO IS “STICKY” IN NOLA;
KGOU & KOSU ARE NECK-TO-NECK IN OKC; WFPL MAKES NICE GAINS IN LOUISVILLE
In
the Nielsen Audio Spring 2018 ratings for New Orleans we see another situation
where weekly listeners are down a bit but the AQH listeners are growing
compared to Spring 2017.
This generally means that the number of listeners is
down by the people who are listening longer has increased.
Check
out the growing number of listeners to Smooth Jazz music WNOZ-LP. The gains in estimated weekly listeners and
AQH listeners are indicative of a very appealing station sound.
The
Spring 2018 Nielsen ratings for Oklahoma City are a mixed bag for both KGOU and
KOSU. Though KGOU still is market
leader, KOSU has 17% more weekly listeners in Spring 2018 than they did in
Spring 2017.
However,
when AQH listeners were measured by Nielsen is appears that those people
listening to KGOU are staying longer. KOSU is down in this metric which may
mean the increase in weekly listeners is partly due to people sampling, and then exiting, KOSU.
In
Louisville, WFPL remains strong but Triple A WFPK is down in both weekly
listeners and AQH listeners.
However, Classical WUOL is reaching more people
and they are staying tuned a bit longer.
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