JACOBS: “PUBLIC RADIO LISTENERS ARE MORE ‘”INTO” NEWS

Fred Jacobs, The King of All Media (Research)

Last week at the Public Radio Content Conference, Fred Jacobs from Jacobs Media presented the results of Public Radio Tech Survey 2018 (PRTS 2018), a snapshot of the media usage and preferences of over 22,000 public radio listeners.

We had the opportunity to ask Jacobs about trends he sees in the survey and how PRTS 2018 compares with its cousin, Jacobs’ Techsurvey 2018, conducted earlier in the year with over 64,000 commercial radio listeners.

Jacobs says public radio listeners consumption of media differs from commercial radio listeners in a couple of ways:

Public radio listeners are clearly more “into” news and podcasting.  They are also considerably more educated than commercial radio listeners.  While we didn’t ask education levels this go-round, we have several times in past surveys.  Education is very much a strong differentiator. 

Beyond these traits, it is hard to compare the two tech surveys.   

The methodology is the same for both groups but the respondents are quite different:

The average age of a PRTS 2018 respondent is 59.7.  The average age of the commercial radio Techsurvey 2018 is 50.7.   

The respondents participating in either of Jacobs' surveys, reflect the formats they listen to.

In PRTS 2018, 63% of the respondents listen to News/Talk. 

In Techsurvey 2018 only 15% listen to News/Talk. This is why each of the Tech Surveys surveys stand on it’s own.

START WITH THE MEDIA PYRAMID

The Media Pyramid is the  baseline for all of the Jacobs Media Tech Surveys. Here is the PRTS 2018 Pyramid:

Think of the Media Pyramid as both a summary and a time capsule.  By looking at Media Pyramids over the years you see the ebbs and flows of various devices and platforms. From instance, a decade ago Smartphones were not even listed and in 2018 they are most ubiquitous device of all. Podcasts are a platform that has also shown incredible growth.

The same can be said about other items listed on the pyramid.  HD Radio has been around since the mid 2000s, but time has shown there is very little listener interest.

• We asked Fred Jacobs if the relatively low penetration of Connected Car features is a sign “smart cars” have been over-hyped?

Jacobs:  Not a bit.  Keep in mind that when we ask “connected car” penetration, we’re referring to media entertainment systems like Ford SYNC and Chrysler UConnect. 

Jacobs: The fact is, more than six in ten (63%) of public radio listeners in PRTS 2018 have the ability to connect a smartphone to their cars.  

Among fans of the NewsTalk format, it’s closer to seven in ten (60%).  

Add to that, the car makes up 41% of weekly consumption to public radio stations.  The car – and connectivity – are a huge deal.

• Podcasting is important to public radio programmers. We asked Jacobs if the slowdown in podcast consumption, and the steady percentage of the sample that is “not interested” in podcasts, means podcasts has hit a plateau?

 Jacobs: This is partially due to the older sample, but this year we asked “podcast nevers” – those who never listen to podcasts – for the reasons why.  And many of them related to technical issues – the hassle of searching for podcasts and finding a way to listen to them is real.  Not to mention, the lack of a native Podcasts app on Android devices contribute to the barriers of consuming on-demand audio.  As these speed bumps are eliminated, you’ll see podcast consumption continue to rise.

Screen shot from Pyramid

• We noted the high percentage of respondents who say they read a newspaper. We asked Jacobs if this is a reflection of the older-age skew of the sample?

Jacobs: Yes.  Public radio listeners are more voracious consumers of news and this year’s sample skews a bit older.  That explains a lot.  We also asked respondents whether the election has driven subscribership to newspapers like the NY Times & the Washington Post – more than one-fourth (26%) agree with that notion.

OTHER FINDINGS WE THOUGHT WERE INTERESTING

• Smart speakers have gained quick acceptance

One of the most encouraging stats in PRTS 2018 is that respondents indicate they are listening to more traditional radio via their Smart Speakers. 

For several years we have been seeing the decline of radios in the home and workplace. Now people have a new way of requesting Play Misty for Me.

• The YouTubing of America keeps growing

Video has become a destination for audio+.  People seem willing to listen to audio no matter what is on the accompanying video. 

YouTube is more than video on demand – it is becoming a full service media platform.

• Digital devices are replacing the clock radio

Use of a clock radio, once a staple in the bedroom, is down to 29% of the PRTS sample. Clock radios are easy to use and dependable but digital devices are even easier to use with the same reliability. 

Traditional radio is increasingly becoming an “only in the car” choice. Perhaps stations should give away Smart Speakers that are preset for morning wake ups.

Personally, we use a dependable analog method to start our day day: Our two cats never fail to be hungry in the morning,