True story: More than a decade ago, I’m on the phone with a Classic Rock PD who was quite exuberant about his spring book. That’s because his station finished in the Top 5 25-54, triggering a ratings bonus.
A week later we’re on the phone, and I ask him how he’s spent the aforementioned bonus. And he sadly informed me that when the actual digital book came out, the public radio station in town finished in the top five, knocking his station down to sixth – and out of the money. How could that happen? Well, back in the pre-PPM days, public radio stations didn’t show up in the physical “book.” They only appeared in the digital rankers. Today in PPM, public radio stations live right alongside their commercial cousins – as it should be.
By the way, I asked this PD whether the public radio station (that edged him out) was well-programmed and he told me he never listened to it. Like it was some sort of alien life form that had nothing to do with his competitive sphere.
Fred Jacobs is a super well-respected radio consultant and a friend of public radio. I liked his piece timed to coincide with the start of Jarl Mohn at NPR (and not coincidentally the Public Radio Development and Marketing Conference).
He mentions our challenges but mostly he aims at our strengths, like this: “The big move is building on their substantial assets and their amazing brands in this new media morass – and they are in a position to make it happen. While too many in the business constantly parrot “content is king,” in public radio they don’t need to say it – the concept is embedded in their DNA.”
Thanks for the plug, Fred.