“2019 NON-COMMvention” HAPPENS IN TWO WEEKS • TRIPLE A & ALT ROCK STATION RATINGS IN 2007 AND NOW

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Public media’s most enjoyable and most affordable conference – the 2019 NON-COMMvention [link] – happens May 14-17 at WXPN’s World Cafe in Philadelphia.

Plus, this year the NON-COMMvention is expanding its partnership with the noncomMUSIC Alliance [link]. The Alliance is a nonprofit organization that works with all genres of music on public radio stations nationwide.

The Alliance is hosting pre-conference meetings that will feature speakers and discussions around several of the key issues facing music stations beginning 4pm Monday (5/13) through 3:30pm Tuesday (5/14). Complete information is available here.

Morrissey

Legendary indie musician Morrissey will kick off the NON-COMM with a showcase performance on Tuesday evening (5/14). 

Among the other artists who are schedule to appear are The National, Bruce Hornsby and KT Tunstall. 

Registration is in effect now through May 6, 2019. Music/Media Industry people pay $250 and Radio station folks pay $150. Walk-up fees are slightly more and Day Passes are $125 for all attendees.

There are several hotels within walking distance of WXPN’s World Cafe. Complete information is available here.

Sessions and performances continue through Friday (5/17).

TRIPLE A & ALTERNATIVE ROCK STATION RATINGS THEN AND NOW

In 2007, the NON-COMMvention was held in Louisville for the final time. In 2008, it moved to Philadelphia where it has been held ever since. The NON-COMM was established in 2001 by Gerry Weston, CEO of the Public Radio Partnership in Louisville and Dan Reed, then the PD of WFPK. Reed is now at WXPN and still organizes the NON-COMM.

We’ve been digging through the Spark News ratings archives and we thought readers would enjoy seeing the ratings progress AAA and Alternative Rock stations have made since 2007. The numbers are impressive.

On the left is a chart showing the Arbitron Diary ratings from Spring 2007 compared with Nielsen Audio PPM ratings from March 2019. 

(In a few cases noted on chart, the comparison is between Spring 2007 and Spring 2018.)

Please keep in mind the 2007 Arbitron data was obtained by Diary methodology. The March 2019 data was obtained by Nielsen’s PPM methodology. 

The differences between the two methodologies may account for some of the differences between 2007 and 2019.

There were 20 rated full-time AAA and Alt Rock music stations listed in the Spring 2007 “book.” We found Nielsen data for 13 stations in March 2019. Of the 13 stations, 9 (69%) had more estimated weekly listeners in 2019 than they had in 2007.

The stations showing the biggest gains in weekly listeners between 2007 and now are The Bridge (KTBG) in Kansas City, up 73% during the period; Radio K (KUOM) in Minneapolis, up 64%; and, The Cuurent (KCMP) also in the Twin Cities, up 47%.

Several of the stations listed in 2007 are still operating but didn’t subscribe the March 2019 Nielsen ratings.

One station that was listed in 2007 is gone but certainly not forgotten: WNKU in Cincinnati.

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