Lawmakers give New Jersey Network time to become ‘self-sustaining’ - pressofAtlanticCity.com

Lawmakers give New Jersey Network time to become ‘self-sustaining’ - pressofAtlanticCity.com

This article articulates the challenges facing NJN in the near future. The State of New Jersey has given NJN some time as the state studies how best to restructure the public broadcaster.

Current thinking is that the State of New Jersey should walk away and NJN become independent. Standing in the way is a huge deficit of $16.7 million. According to the article there may also be irregularities in the way NJN's foundation raised support.

If NJN is able to become a non-government non-profit organization it will need to look seriously at the sustainability of its programming including their flagship program "NJN News," a nightly half-hour news program.

NJN's Interim Executive Director Howard Blumenthal is quoted in the article from a written statement, "...that all the pieces of the network were working toward a fiscal solution. “NJN management and staff are working with members of the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority (NJN’s governance board), the NJN Foundation (NJN’s fundraising board), the Governor’s Office and legislators to develop a plan that secures a healthy future for NJN and public media in New Jersey. We will continue to meet with foundations, corporations and individual donors to share our vision for a future of greater public service, and make a compelling case for support of NJN as a vital source for information and ideas."

After format swap, WGBH lags behind WBUR in ratings

After format swap, WGBH lags behind WBUR in ratings
Found in the Boston Herald.com by Jessica Heslam.

The 1.0 share for WGBH has to be disappointing. It is not the end of the world.

There are two great comments that put this into perspective.

Boston radio consultant and Lesley University professor Donna Halper said this is a marathon - not a sprint. “I’ve been consulting for 30 years and there is no history of a talk radio format, particularly on public broadcasting, storming in and taking over the world,” Halper said.

While WBUR has WGBH beat so far, Fleming said his station is still concerned about the newcomer, but it’s forced them to “focus in on what we do well.”

If this is going to work for WGBH, they will need to take the long view. The news is not so bad for their classical service. WCRB has 2.2 share in April and a 2.6 share for the winter quarter according to Arbitron and the Radio Research Consortium.

Colorado Republican Wants to Cut CPB

Colorado Representative Republican Doug Lambron says he is introducing legislation that would eliminate the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Details are in an article in The Colorado Independent. Rep Lambron says the country no longer needs this choice in a time when 500 channels are available through cable and other pay-for-use services like the internet. Pam Osborn, spokesperson for Colorado Public Broadcasting said in the article that 18% of the television audience still gets their TV "free" over the air. Many of them cannot afford $100 a month for cable or internet phone service. 

Can PBS and NPR be Self-Sustaining?

Lambron also said that NPR and PBS will survive without CPB. That day may be coming for NPR with direct funding from on-line and internet radio users. But, NPR is not anywhere near the critical mass needed to sustain itself. Most of its funding comes from member stations. Stations get some funding from CPB, some funding from contributors and some funding from underwriters. The article ignores other program suppliers like Public Radio International, American Public Media, WFMT and the Public Radio Exchange. PBS does not directly create any programming.

Public Broadcasting is Driven by Memberships

Membership contributions for public radio are driven by programming. Listeners send money to public radio when they rely on its service and consider it important in their lives. According to research from ARA (Audience 98), public service and public support are linked so tightly that listener support can be used as a proxy for the public service that causes it. Public support, like public service, is the product of two factors: the value listeners place on the programming, and the amount of listening done to the programming.

We found at the station I worked for the listeners who valued the station most (core listeners) were most likely to support us. Typically the core tuned in about ten times a week for a total of about 10 hours a week. On-line usage does not come anywhere close to that threshold, at least not yet.

Not a New Idea

This is not the first time cuts have been proposed. The Reagan administration actually cut funding in the 80's with a rescission of at least 50%. The recession came as the result of a flap over program content on PBS. The Reagan Administration wanted more control over the content.  Newt Gingrich later proposed "The Glide Path to Zero" where all funding was to be cut for public broadcasting. There have been other proposals. The most recent proposal came from the Bush Administration. Some states strapped for cash are proposing cuts. The stations hurt most by these cuts are the smaller stations, usually in rural areas.

A Change is Coming

The funding equation will change as listeners and viewers change how they acquire their content. According to what I’ve been reading, that change is coming in this decade. What that means for local affiliates is not clear. If NPR does find itself in the position where it can cut the local affiliates loose, the affiliates will have a difficult time supporting their coverage of local and regional issues. Most public radio listeners today come to their stations looking first for the national programming. Without those listeners, stations will find sustainability to be a problem. Funding local news on public radio will be difficult. In this case, new alliances and new funding models will need to be found in order for public radio and television to continue provide in-depth news and information programming.

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Public Radio / Community Engagement

Some public radio stations are reaching out and trying to engage the community. It's an altruistic effort that is making these radio stations a valued member in their communities.
As a public media manager  are you wondering why you should care? Check out the National Center for Media Engagement. In their website are The Top Ten Reasons to Engage Your Community Beyond Broadcast.

Montana Public Radio will offer a free workshop, “Your Mission, Message and the Media." Christine Dascenzo, MTPR’s outreach coordinator, will lead the workshop, which aims to provide tactics to improve communication that nonprofits can implement on their own, such as how to create strategic messages, maintain their brand and network online. 

Read more in the Clark Fork Chronicle.

WMPG, Portland, Maine teams up with Blunt Youth Radio to create radio and community ties. 

Since 1994, Blunt Youth Radio Project has brought together up to 50 teenagers from a variety of schools to produce a weekly, call-in, public affairs radio show on WMPG-FM, 90.9 and 104.1, the non-profit, community radio station of the University of Southern Maine. The hour-long show features two teen hosts who interview guests on topical issues, interspersed with public radio-style feature reports, produced by the team's reporters.

There's more at Seacoastonline.com

WWOZ, New Orleans has been involved in Gulf Aid. Gulf Aid was a concert to benefit to help with the clean-up and those affected by the spill. The concert was in May. Gulf Aid continues with updates on the station's Website.

In the interest of full disclosure, I did apply for a position at NCME. It's been about a month since I last heard from them which leads me to believe they've moved on. Despite this turn, I think what they propose about public media engagement makes a lot of sense. This is an idea worth any station's consideration, and something I hope to bring with me wherever I land.

Bill Buzenberg on Center for Public Integrity’s aim to “catalyze impact,” fundraise in a competitive field

Bill Buzenberg on Center for Public Integrity’s aim to “catalyze impact,” fundraise in a competitive field

The funding issue comes up all the time when discussing non-profit journalism. In an interview with Laura McGann of the Nieman Journalism Lab, Bill Buzenburg talks about the competition for funds and three of the ways the Center for Public Integrity is raising funds.

"We’re raising money in three ways. We do have foundation support. We’re talking with something like 86 foundations, many of whom do support us. We also are raising money from individuals — small donations with membership, much like public radio. Larger donations from people with resources. We do have a strong base of individual donors. And the third way is earned revenue, and we’re working on various scenarios of how we can earn that."

Four Foundations End Hold on WDUQ

The announcement that four foundations had decided to withdraw their hold on WDUQ has left me with questions.

 “The group worked hard for a month to determine how the radio station would add value to the original project in relation to the cost. What we in the foundations group have determined is that we are not enough along in that analysis and in our solicitation of community input, and will not be by July 2.” In published reports and in an interview with WDUQ, representatives of the foundation effort said the group was looking to find ways to grow journalism in the region at a time when many news outlets are facing financial difficulties. "


Did the foundations have difficulty getting input? Did the foundations find the problem too broad to come up with a solution for WDUQ? Did the foundations underestimate the complexity of the issue?  


Saving  in-depth  journalism is an issue that goes beyond public media with interest coming from many parties. The Knight Commission has some interesting analysis and thought on this issue. Recently there was an interesting Article in the Atlantic about Google's ventures into saving journalism.


Saving WDUQ as an NPR station would help in keeping the community informed. There are no other NPR news outlets serving the Pittsburgh market. Saving WDUQ as an NPR station is only a part of the answer.


Did the foundations want to answer something much broader? If so, I have to agree two months is much too short a time frame. Getting started...trying something to keep the public informed can begin anytime.

Oil Spill Coverage Varies for Public Radio on the Gulf

I took a trip around the Gulf of Mexico (a virtual trip) to find out what some of the local public radio stations are doing on their websites to highlight coverage of the gulf oil spill. I thought the oil spill might be an opportunity for public broadcasters to draw their communities together.
Below are the sites that stood out.


KUHF Houston, TX has a feature on how the hurricane forecast complicates issues and anxieties surrounding the spill.
Oil Spill Adds New Anxiety to Hurricane Season

"Hurricane season begins tomorrow.  The federal government expects 8 to 14 hurricanes this summer, when the average is only 6. Adding to the anxiety is the question of what happens if a hurricane hits the oil spill? Carrie Feibel takes a look into what might happen when a natural disaster crosses paths with a man-made disaster.


The webpage for the feature includes a hurricane and oil spill fact sheet.
There's more coverage inside from the Health, Science and Technology Desk.
I could not find a way for the audience or the community to interact with the station about this issue.


WWOZ New Orleans, LA (a station with a heritage music format) offers an impressive presence on the web. WWOZ engaged its listeners. The fundraiser raised over $1 million. There was an easy to find link on the front page.           
WWOZ Others Respond to BP Oil Disaster

On April 20, 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig (leased by British Petroleum) set off an historic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, just off the Louisiana coast. Efforts to stop the leak and keep oil out of our wetlands and bayous are ongoing, but the effects on fishing and wildlife on the Gulf Coast and beyond could be profound. Read on to find out what 'OZ is doing about it—and what you can do to help combat this growing ecologicaul and environmental crisis

WWNO, New Orleans has a box on their site dealing with the spill. WWNO is offering extensive local news coverage. The only weakness - I could not find a way for listeners to become involved and engaged on the website.  


Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Center

WWNO's Local Coverage NPR's National Coverage NOAA Incident Response Central

WHIL, Mobile offers a link on the front page and an oil spill drop down on the Home Tab.
There is information on how listeners can become involved and volunteer inside the website.


http://www.whil.org/subpage.asp?pageID=126


As I moved around the Gulf Coast I noticed that stations in Texas had little to offer on their websites with the exception of KUHF. Florida stations relied on their news coverage. WUSF has some local coverage through their news department. WLRN is covering the issue with their talk show Florida Roundup. I had to dig to find this information. The sites from these stations did not offer a way for the stations' listeners and website users to become involved and engaged with the station. Stations in areas most likely to be affected seemed to be most engaged at this time.