RETRO FRIDAY: ALAN FREED WJW CLEVELAND 1953

Alan Freed is proof that programming causes audience.  In 1953, Alan Freed made HOT programming that compelled the listener to act, often to Freed's benefit.

We've all heard about Freed's troubles but people seldom appreciate what a bold communicator he was.  Today's clip is Alan Freed at WJW, Cleveland in 1953, right before he moved to 1010 WINS.  He was at his prime as a broadcaster:

His ashes are preserved at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

NIELSEN AUDIO DIARY FALL 2014: TRIPLE A

PROGRAMMING CAUSES AUDIENCE

David Giovannoni, 1922

The Nielsen Audio diary markets from last fall are now all in. The stations below are mainly Triple A.  I added some stations just outside the Triple A mainstream. Scroll down for my comments.

ARBITRON FALL 2014 TOP-LINE ESTIMATES

Monday-Sunday 6AM-Midnight Persons 12+
Data Copyright Arbitron Inc. Courtesy RRC

NA MKT RANK	NIELSEN AUDIO METRO Format	STATION	METRO AQH SHARE (%)	CUME %	TSA WEEKLY CUME (00)
75	Omaha Modern Rock	KIWR	3.3	7.2	652
54	Louisville Full time Triple A	WFPK	2.9	5.8	643
90	Colorado Springs NPR News & Triple A	KRCC	3.6	8	577
82	Harrisburg Full time Triple A, repeats WXPN	WXPH	0.8	2	358
58	Rochester NY NPR News & Triple A	WRUR	1.3	3.3	317
138	Palm Springs CA Repeats KCRW, LA	KCRW	3.3	6.8	260
65	Albany Full time Triple A	WEXT	1	2.9	259
62	Tucson Mainly Triple A, Spicy Music	KXCI	1.1	2.8	242
103	Melbourne NPR News & Triple A	WFIT	2	4.8	236
121	Oxnard-Ventura Repeats KCRW, LA	KCRW	1.9	3.6	207
155	Quad Cities R & B, Hip Hop, Rap & Soul	WGVV-LP	4.1	6.4	200
170	Anchorage Mainly Triple A	KNBA	1.4	4.5	127
210	Duluth-Superior Full time Triple A & Modern Rock	KUMD	1.4	5.4	116
89	Syracuse Repeats WRUR, Ithaca	WITH	0	0	86
271	Grand Forks Various contemporary music	KSRQ	1	1.7	27

These data are provided for use by Arbitron subscribers ONLY, in accordance with RRC's limited license with Arbitron Inc. Format classifications are the sole responsibility of Ken Mills.

 TOP OF THE CHART: KIWR The River OMAHA

 

I love this station!  Operated from Western Iowa Tech, The River is the undisputed 

rock n roll king of Omaha and the Bluffs.  Who listens to The River? 

Here is a pic from a Creed listening session for station listeners:

WE TRY HARDER: WEXT ALBANY

http://exit977.org/

Chris Wienk and company maximize their impact despite a less-than-perfect coverage area:

PROOF THAT PROGRAMMING CAUSES AUDIENCE: WGVV QUAD CITIES

This might be the highest ranked LPFM station in the nation. Groove 92.5 mixes old school R & B with Hip Hop and Rap.  This listener-supported station is a template for other LPFM stations in urban areas.

 

CHECK IT OUT: ROMAN MARS INTERVIEWED IN "WIRED"

Like many of you, I am trying to learn the whole story about podcasts.  I've been listening to them for years but I've never considered them "mass media" like broadcasting. Other than repeats of my favorite programs and segments, most of the podcasts I've heard sound like leftovers from cable-access TV.  But that is changing, because no matter the platform, content is king.

Enter Roman Mars: The Man Who's Building a Podcast Empire.  In a fascinating interview in the latest edition of Wired http://www.wired.com/2015/01/podcaster-roman-mars/, Mars lays out his vision:

Roman Mars thinks public radio needs a tune-up. His popular design podcast, 99% Invisible, was a start, but Mars’ plan for total airwave domination relies on Radiotopia, the podcast collective he founded last year with public media company PRX. Radiotopia provides funding, support, and promotion for a stable of indie podcasts (shows like Love + Radio, Strangers, and Criminal) that specialize in narrative journalism. Mars wants to broaden the radio landscape, making shows that aren’t bound by NPR’s conventions—Radiotopia shows tend to feature hosts speaking softly, so close to the mic that it’s like they’re in your head. 

In other words, stories that get inside a listener's head and demand a return visit for more. This is about "hot magnets" that go beyond the restrictions of broadcasting. The goal is a deep connection to each listener:

Photo Credit; Damien Maloney

Mars: Public radio once cornered the market on the closeness. Listening to NPR became the definition of who you were. And podcasting is a hundredfold more intense than that. ...one podcast listener is worth 10,000 radio listeners. The personal connection is major.  

True enough, but podcasting and broadcasting are two different businesses. The metrics are hard to compare.

The assertion that "one podcast listeners is worth 10,000 public radio listeners" is taking it all from the podcaster's point of view.  From a broadcaster's perspective it is better to have 10,000 listeners than one because if you lose one listener you have 9,999 left.  Lose a podcast listener and you might be out of business.  Audience retention is the key.