NuVoodoo
Media Services [link] this week released new research of commercial radio music
listeners that has raised eyebrows in both the radio and music industries. The
study of over 3,000 people, between the ages of 14 and 54 across all PPM-rated
markets, found rampant listener cynicism about commercial radio’s relationship
with music companies.
According
to the NuVoodoo report, 70% of commercial radio music station respondents believe
that stations are playing music that record companies paid them to
play.
Close to 60% agree with the statement that the reason playlists being so tight at
commercial stations is cost-savings by stations to avoid paying
licensing fees.
In
other words, the distrust of the motives of commercial music stations is
extraordinarily high. The fact that the study came from NuVoodoo is
notable. They are one of the leading
commercial radio music testing firms. Their clients include iHeartMusic,
Cumulus, Hubbard and other big group owners.
Spark
News contacted NuVoodoo to find out if the study included listeners to noncom
stations. Carolyn Gilbert, the President/Owner/Supreme High Priestess (actual job title) of
NuVoodoo told us that virtually all of the respondents were commercial station
music listeners.
No
one is naïve enough to think that payola doesn’t happen in noncommercial music
radio but the findings uncover a profound difference between commercial radio
and public radio. As we know, listener trust is a primary reason people support public
radio.
NONCOM STATION PROGRAMMERS:
TRUST IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE
We
reached out to several of the leading noncommercial music station programmers
for their perspective. All agreed that public radio music station listeners are
less cynical than the ones in the NuVoodoo study.
Jim McGuinn, PD of The Current, said the “gaming” of
music charts happens on all platforms but it isn’t as prevalent in public
radio:
 |
| Jim McGuinn |
“Because of the depth and variety of music we play at
Non-Comm, I don’t hear that kind of message from listeners as often you would
at tightly programmed commercial station.”
“The irony about this study is that there are many playlists
and playlisting services that DO accept Pay-for-Play from labels and artists -
ask any indie artist about how many solicitations and promises they are pitched
to help them try to ‘game’ the streaming listening system, with many
independent Spotify playlist creators offering slots for money.”
“All of radio needs to
do a better job providing transparency to the audience so they feel good about
how they are programmed. We try to open up the process and take listeners
backstage and often talk about how humans are picking the music at stations
like The Current – because we are.”
 |
| Stacy Owen |
Stacy Owen, PD of WFPK,
Louisville, underscored the importance of listener trust:
“Our playlist is too broad to encounter the perception there's
any "pay for play" involved. Trust is highest on our priority list.
Our listeners want to philosophically approve of what WFPK represents. Through
our local focus and community involvement we work hard to earn the trust they
have in us to curate their listening.”
WXPN General Manager for Programming Bruce Warren said “listener trust is of the utmost importance.”
Consultant Mike Henry, who has worked with both
commercial and noncommercial stations, took issue with the researcher’s interpretation
of the data:
"I have never come across listener perceptions for payola or
found much recognition or understanding of payola from listeners.
Personally, I doubt that many listeners understand the nuances of music rights
or payola, and suspect that the high responses against the concepts are made
without an educated basis. Most listeners of pubradio stations already
have a higher opinion of these stations vs. commercial radio."
Another programmer of a
noncommercial music station, who asked to be identified, agreed with Mike Henry:
People don’t trust
commercial stations in general. It is a
by-product of the massive consolidation of ownership. If ad sales are good,
trust doesn’t matter.
A MUST-WATCH VIDEO:
CALIFORNIA TRANSMITTER BURNS IN WILDFIRE
Jonathan
Coke from North State Public Radio (NSPR) in Chico posted a notice on PRADO, a
public radio Development and Marketing list, about the impact of the Carr
wildfire in northern California. NSPR uses a translator on Shasta Bally Ridge
to reach portions of Redding. That is where this incident happened.
A
closed circuit at the site captured the final moments before the fire destroyed
the equipment. The video ends when it was knocked off the air:
Coke also posted the url for a Google Map that shoms the remote location: https://goo.gl/maps/jy61YsCmLk52
WCVE’S NEW CLASSICAL STATION DEBUTS WITH SOLID RATINGS IN RICHMOND
There
have been several major changes in the Richmond, Virginia noncommercial market
in the past year. As we previewed last March [link], WCVE purchased two
frequencies for a new 24/7 Classical music station that allow WCVE to switch to
full-time NPR News/Talk.
The
new stations are now on the air and listeners have responded very positively. The
new signal are using the handle WCVE Music.
You can see their schedule, which includes a few hour of Jazz and other
types of music here.
During
the Spring 2017 “book” WVTF, a regional
player from Roanoke that also services Richmond, switched their primary
repeater to full-time NPR News/Talk. So, the Richmond market is still in
transition.
Good
to see Triple A WNRN from Charlottesville, have one of their best Richmond
ratings in recent memory.
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