WXPN IS SEARCHING FOR A NEW HOST FOR “WORLD CAFE” • MAY 2019 PPM’S FOR AAA, ALT ROCK & AMERICANA STATIONS

WXPN’s World Cafe, distributed by NPR, is searching for a new program host. Talia Schlanger, the current host, will step down in the fall to pursue independent projects. She succeeded longtime host David Dye in April 2017.

The World Cafe gig is more than just hosting the program. Since the program began in 1991, the host plays a vital role in defining the creative mix of the daily two-hour show.

World Cafe is by far the leading nationally syndicated program on AAA stations. Spark News conducted a survey of 23 leading noncommercial AAA stations in March [link] and found that World Cafe is carried on over 60% of the stations.

Near universal carriage is important for nationally syndicated programs because it adds to their clout in the music industry, makes foundation grants doable and provides the producers with carriage fee revenue.

According to Bruce Warren, Executive Producer of World Cafe, the program is currently heard on 215 public radio stations. Wherever the show airs, it is a local connection to national and international music scenes. World Cafe matters, so the competition for new host job should be intense.

WXPN is looking for someone who has radio, digital and podcasting experience. The person chosen for the assignment will be responsible for interviewing guests, writing and recording the daily show and collaborating with World Cafe team.

For application information, click here. The World Cafe website is here and the Facebook page is here.

WFUV, THE CURRENT & WXPN LEAD MAY 2019 PPM RATINGS

Spark News has examined the results of Nielsen Audio’s May 2019 PPM ratings and found 26 full-time AAA, Alternative Rock and Americana music stations. 

The top three stations, WFUV in New York, KCMP a/k/a The Current in Minneapolis and WXPN is Philadelphia continue to have the largest number of estimated weekly listeners. 

But, there have been changes in the Top 10 stations.

Notably, KCSN 88.5 in Los Angeles has become a “player” in AAA music. Recently retired KCSN GM and PD Sky Daniels turned the once irrelevant station into a highly respected voice in LA Radio.

Also, KDRP a/k/a Sun Radio, an amalgamation of five low-power signals, continues to rise in Austin’s PPM ratings. Austin’s AAA KUTX continues to increase its number of listeners.

KUTX and Sun Radio are also in the Top 10 in average-quarter-hour shares. 

The Current continues to lead all other stations in the format category in AQH.

WYEP in Pittsburgh also has a significant AQH share.

Two Denver AAA stations – KJAC The Colorado Sound and KVOQ OpenAir – continue to jockey for position in progressive rock friendly Denver-Boulder.

Note the outstanding performance by WYMS’HD2 channel.  

 It is a hyper-local station that calls itself Milwaukee Music and people like it.

The HD stations are examples of why HD Radio is such a failure. 

People have never embraced it, even though some of the HD stations on our chart have excellent programming.

The truth is, HD Radio was doomed from the start. It was cooked up in corporate board rooms to assure the dominance of commercial radio’s biggest companies.  It was never tested with actual radio listeners.

Consider the hassle a potential consumer faces when trying to tune to a HD station.  First the person needs to tune to a station they don't want to hear. Then the person needs to knock three times and jiggle the dial and wait for HD program to start. Think of HD Radio as a “New Coke” moment.