HOT NEWS CYCLE DRIVES NEWS & TALK RATINGS UP

Lots of folks have noticed that News and Talk stations of all types are experiencing a bump in Nielsen Audio PPM ratings for January 2017.  Typically, listening estimates tend to go down after a national election.  Not this time.

The volatile political developments surrounding President Trump’s election and inauguration continue to be on the minds of listeners. According to Nielsen Audio estimates, the News-Talk format is seeing its best numbers since just before the 2012 election.  Some NPR News stations are setting all-time records.

The trend may continue for a while. President Trump seems to like confrontation and there is no sign he will change his ways.

The January PPM survey period was from January 5 to February 1. News-Talk stations were up in all age-cohorts. Perhaps the most notable jump was the record high AQH shares for listeners ages 18–34. Most other formats dropped in 18-34 listening. Nielsen’s News-Talk cohort includes commercial news and talk stations plus noncom NPR News stations.

Today we are looking a estimates for five PPM markets: Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Portland and Seattle-Tacoma. Six of the seven NPR News stations in these markets increased their number of weekly cumulative listeners between Winter 2016 and January 2017. The estimated number of weekly listeners was up over 20% for WRAS in Atlanta, KUT in Austin and WYPR and WAMU in Baltimore.  The only station that had a decline in weekly listeners is dual-format KNKX, Seattle.

Speaking of Sea-Tac, perhaps the honeymoon period for KNKX is over.  Without seeing hour-by-hour data it is impossible to say whether the losses were greater for News listeners or Jazz listeners. Triple A KEXP added weekly listeners, as did Classical KTVI, a repeater of Northwest Public Radio’s classical channel based in Pullman.

WRAS in Atlanta is an amazing success story. They have gained weekly listeners in almost every survey since they began around two years ago. WRAS is Georgia Public Broadcasting’s news flagship even though it only airs news programming 17 hours a day. Elsewhere in Hotlanta, Jazz WCRK and CCM WVFJ were also up.

The January book likely caused smiles at KUT and KUTX.  Both stations had sizable increases in estimated weekly listeners from Winter 2017 to January 2017.  No data is available for Classical KMFA. Alt-country, Americana, Rockabilly and bluegrass hometown gem KDRP made an infrequent appearance.

In Portland, Oregon, KOPB gained 30,000 estimated weekly listeners in the past year. Data for Jazz KMHD was not available.  The two CCM stations listed are repeaters of K-LOVE. Nice to see KBOO make an appearance in the Nielsen data.

NPR News is doing very, very well in Baltimore. Both hometown WYPR and DC’s WAMU gained weekly listeners.

MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO INCREASES PRESENCE IN DULUTH

DULUTH-SUPERIOR HARBOR

Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) has increased its profile in the Duluth-Superior market by purchasing the license for KZIO 104.3 FM and a related translator. The purchase price is $300,000. Though no announcement has been made, it is anticipated that 104.3 will become the new home for The Current.

The Current is now heard in Duluth on translator W215CG 90.9 FM, which simulcasts WSCN-HD2. The Duluth market appears to be important for MPR.  MPR also has full-power repeater stations for its News and Classical regional networks.

 The Current in Duluth has added a few hours of local original programming but during most hours it repeats KCMP from St. Paul. Duluth-Superior is one of the most competitive noncom markets in the nation. By our count, when 104.3 becomes a noncom there will be 12 noncommercial stations serving the market. 

A Noncommercial Dial Guide for the market is on the right.

An upgrade of The Current’s coverage of the market likely means more problems for local Triple A station KUMD. 

As we reported in early February, according to Nielsen Audio, KUMD lost 42% of its weekly cumulative listeners between Fall 2015 and Fall 2016. Ratings for The Current in Duluth are not available but the perception is that The Current gained many of KUMD’s listeners.

BUT WHY DULUTH?

The metro population of the “Twin Ports” is around 280,000 and it is the nation’s 165^th biggest metro. It is an international seaport. But the area has been losing population for a number of years. Wages, education levels and housing costs are lower than the national average.

Meanwhile, MPR serves two other out-state markets with much more potential for The Current: Fargo-Moorhead and Sioux Falls. Both markets are around the same size as Duluth-Superior but have been growing at fast paces. MPR operates two full-power stations in Fargo-Moorhead (metro population: 240,000). In Sioux Falls (metro population 252,000), MPR operates three full-power stations. Two of the stations repeat MPR News.

Fargo-Moorhead is a college town where wages and education levels are far above the national average. Sioux Falls is the home of Sanford Health which has brought thousands of highly paid researchers and physicians to the city. Neither market currently has a Triple A station.

TALIA SCHLANGER BECOMES HOST OF WORLD CAFÉ

As expected, WXPN has named Talia Schlanger to succeed David Dye as host of World Café. The change is official on Monday, April 3^rd. Schlanger, 31, has been an interim host for the past several months.

Schlanger’s choice is a generational change for the program. She had been a journalist, producer and host for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), based in Toronto. She was also an actress in professional theater productions, including the first US national tour of Green Day’s American Idiot.

Schlanger is a music fan first. She told the Philadelphia Inquirer [link]:

“Like our listeners, I’m here as a music fan first. Discovering, sharing and connecting over artists is our collective passion, and it’s my mission to serve that as best I can on World Cafe. David Dye is so beloved and respected because for 25 years, audiences have been able to feel the genuine curiosity, excitement and care he has for the music he plays and for the artists who make it. 

I know this is a big change, but I hope our devoted World Cafe crowd will feel the same degree of passion and care coming from me as we charge forward with amps blaring.”

WXPN will pay tribute to David Dye for his 25 years as host and producer of World Cafe with a private special event in Philadelphia on March 1. Listeners, members and donors are being invited to a tribute concert for Dye this Friday, March 3^rd.

MORE “TRUMP BUMPS” IN NIELSEN AUDIO PPM JANUARY RATINGS

In San Francisco both NPR News stations, KQED and KALW, had impressive one-year gains in the January 2017 PPM estimates, compared with January 2016. KQED’s estimated 984,500 weekly cumulative is likely a record high. 

KALW appears to be coming to life with a 35% increased in estimated weekly listeners during the same period.

In Boston, WGBH saw dramatic changes in weekly listeners between January 2016 and January 2017. It’s estimated weekly cume grew by 26%. WBUR’s weekly listeners also grew.

There was no bump for KERA in the Dallas-Fort World metroplex.  There appears to be fluid situation among CCM listeners. Education Media Foundation’s K-LOVE repeater KYDA is now the top noncom station in the market.

LOUISVILLE PUBLIC MEDIA IS STILL PURSUING WNKU • “TRUMP BUMP” BENEFITS NPR NEWS STATIONS

Michael Skolar

Late last Friday (2/24) we received a message from Michael Skolar, President of Louisville Public Media (LPM) regarding WNKU. (Scroll down to see Skoler’s complete verbatim message.)

One sentence caught my attention:

“We are now looking at options for how we might help save WNKU as a community-focused, Triple A station. We’d love to find a way that makes financial sense for us to help keep WNKU’s service to the local music community not just alive, but thriving.”

Skoler did not specify what options LPM is considering. However, Skolar said that Stacy Owen, PD of WFPK, once worked at WNKU and has connections in Cincinnati.

The ball is still in Northern Kentucky University’s (NKU) court.  Though the deal for Bible Broadcasting to acquire WNKU is done, the sale is not final until the FCC gives its approval. It possible, though not likely, NKU could change its mind.

Skoler clarified LPM’s discussions with NKU to date. LPM did not offer a Local Management Agreement (LMA), their intention was always to purchase WNKU. Apparently NKU’s decision to sell to Bible Broadcasting was a surprise.  Though LPM was still in negotiating with NKU, they never had a chance to make a counter offer.

VERBATIM COMMENT REGARDING WNKU

Date 2/24/17

From: Michael Skoler
President, Louisville Public Media

I joined Louisville Public Media in December, heading back into local public radio after more than six years running digital for PRI and many prior years at WGBH, MPR, APM and NPR. I saw your newsletter today mentioning WNKU and thought I would clarify LPM’s interest.

I know that Cincinnati Public Radio proposed an operating agreement for Northern Kentucky University, but we never did. We were looking at purchase of WNKU’s original signal when I joined LPM and we had hired Public Media Company to help us evaluate the opportunity. For all the reasons you mentioned in the newsletter, we knew that the University was looking for a sale.

As a new leader, I needed to get up to speed on our own shop and how a purchase might affect it. I asked for time and Public Media Company heard from WNKU’s broker that there was no other pending offer. We were surprised to suddenly hear of the sale without any warning or a chance to make an offer.

We are now looking at options for how we might help save WNKU as a community-focused, Triple A station. Stacy Owen, the PD of WFPK, was a host and music director at WNKU, so she knows the market and still has strong connections in Cincinnati. WFPK often features Cincinnati bands and we sometimes host concerts with them in Louisville. We’d love to find a way that makes financial sense for us to help keep WNKU’s service to the local music community not just alive, but thriving.

WNYC, WAMU & KNOW GAIN POST-ELECTION WEEKLY LISTENERS

Both commercial and noncommercial news and talk stations appear to be benefiting from news regarding the transition and early weeks of the Trump administration. Common wisdom is that listening to news and talk stations goes down after elections are over. Things are different now because of inflammatory statements, controversial plans and a growing resistance to Trumpism.

Nielsen Audio has released estimates for January 2017.  We compared the new data with listening in January 2016. WNYC-FM, WAMU and KNOW all had major increases in estimated weekly listeners.

In New York, even WNYC-AM appeared to benefit from the hot news cycle. The number of weekly listeners grew by 41% from January 2016 to January 2017.  WNYC-FM’s estimated 907,900 weekly cumulative listeners may be a record high for the station.

Also in New York, Classical WQXR posted a nice gain of weekly listeners.  Jazz WBGO and Triple A WFUV both had declines.  There is one new station on the chart: WKLV airs satellite-delivered K-LOVE.

WAMU is currently the top station in the DC market according to Nielsen Audio average quarter hour share rankings. Hubbard Broadcasting’s WTOP leads WAMU in weekly cumulative listeners, but that gap is tightening.

KNOW’s estimated weekly listeners may also be a record in the Twin Cities. Triple A KCMP a/k/a 89.3 The Current continues to be a strong performer. 

Jazz noncom KBEM may have also set a new high in weekly listeners, up 35% in the past year.