BIG MARKET FULL-TIME CLASSICAL MUSIC STATIONS TEND TO SHUN NATIONAL PROGRAMS

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There is a big difference between classical music stations in PPM markets and ones in Diary markets: The Classical stations in PPM markets don't use many nationally syndicated programs. 

An analysis by Spark News of national program carriage found that Classical music stations in PPM markets are only airing 2.2 syndicated programs per week. However, Classical music station in Diary markets air an average of 6.5 programs per week. This is a huge difference. 

Note: Our analysis did not include orchestra or concert broadcasts.

Why is this happening?

There are several reasons. Most are products of adio programming philosophies. 

The chart on the left shows the carriage of national programs on 24 full-time Classical music stations.

Stations of all formats in big PPM markets are focused on retaining listeners. This calls for greater engagement, sort of like “Welcome to our club.”

Programs from outside sources “sound different,” and might not support the station brand. Instead, many Classical music stations in PPM markets are having their hosts narrate locally produced themed programs in the places on the schedules where national shows used to be. Network Program marketers must be “having a cow” over the missing major markets.

In many ways, you can truthfully say that the bigger the station/market, the fewer national programs they air. This isn't a good trend or bad trend, it just is what is happening now.

We looked at the schedules for the top 24 full-time Classical music stations in PPM markets, as determined by their estimated weekly listeners from Fall 2018.

Then we looked at the top 10 full-time Classical music stations in Diary markets, also ranked by their estimated weekly listeners from Fall 2018.

As you can see in the next chart, there is a profound difference between the PPM and Diary market stations regarding their use of national programs.

There are several shows that perform well no matter what the market size is.  

From the Top, Pipedreams and the mighty Met Opera succeed because they are highly focused on ne thing.

Look at how different carriage is for WFMT’s Exploring Music with Bill McLaughlin. It is a hit in smaller markets but doesn’t even cast a shadow in PPM markets.

The same pattern is seen with Performance Today.  Stations in Diary markets like PT's quality and utility value.  Not so much on the PPM stations,

Why is this important?  It is because it is so different than other public radio formats. 

The public radio system was built on the universal carriage of All Things Considered and Morning Edition. These two NPR shows created the national “heartbeat” of NPR. They are the essence of the brand.

Last Friday we saw that WXPN’s World Cafe embodies the essence of the AAA format. 

A majority (61%) of AAA stations carry the program,

However, there is not even one Classical music national program that even gets half of the stations in PPM markets to carry the program.

But, in Diary markets many national programs have near universal carriage.