Week of April 9, 2007

Friday 04/13, 2007

Who are the advertisers on an NPR station? Although their audience share is bigger than their revenue share, they are getting into our account list. Here's an example from the Boston NPR network. http://www.wbur.org/inside/underwriting/searchresults.asp. What is our advantage? We can create much more "sell" in our copy, we can do on air promotions, we can service our advertisers in a more pro-active way. As a GM, part of your job is to spot trends. The NPR platform is one worth keeping an eye on.

Thursday 04/12, 2007

If you are a GM in a strong NPR affiliate area, you will soon be seeing the ratings printed in the book. They are converting those low power FM stations into a powerful affiliate network. Examples? Take a look at these networks, http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/stations/stations.pdf, and http://www.wbur.org/inside/about/coverage.asp.

A few stations are fighting back. Entercom in is building a network of stations for it's Boston sports franchise. http://www.weei.com/pages/264593.php As a GM, you may see more of these in the future. Tomorrow, more on the revenue issue and an actual account list from one NPR network.

Wednesday 04/11, 2007

Is NPR getting much better in the news and spoken word department? Yes, they are. And they are getting money they didn't get last year. Where is it coming from? Financial institutions, high end autos, medical facilities, education, and computers. The good news? They can't "sell" within the copy. (although many local stations stretch the rules. ) The bad news? They are getting better at selling Podcasts, catalogue items, and multiple streams. In short, they are (in many areas) ahead of us. Tomorrow, a look at a big NPR effort up north.

Tuesday 04/10, 2007

That local NPR affiliate that used to play Chinese Gong music in mid-day has gone the way of AM stereo. Today's NPR stations are getting a clue. They realize there is a huge audience for news and talk in the morning, and throughout the day. With a decidedly liberal bent, they provide an alternative to the "Rush L" type stations that swing the other way. The good news? As a revenue threat, they are not challenging local commercial broadcasters. But they are getting better at "Underwriting" revenue. Where do they hurt? Coming tomorrow.

Monday 04/09, 2007

Is it me or is NPR getting much better in the news and spoken word department? In many markets they are now beating the commercial NT stations 25-54. As we embark on another spring book, for the next few days, lets look at the NPR programming issues of this Spring vs. the last few years. Then capture the essence of what makes them tick. As a GM, there are opportunities to take advantage of before they get into our revenue. Coming up this week in Joe GM, from All Access.