Super Moon/Blood Moon

What's So Super?

There's no cape. It doesn't really have any super powers, but it is a really rare occasion when a Super Moon meets a full eclipse. We haven't had one since 1982. We've got one this Sunday night! There won't be another for over 15 years.

Not the Apocalypse

Some observers are viewing the date with fear -- calling the eclipse a "blood moon." According to some Christians fixated on end times, this eclipse is the final in a series of four at the end of  the Lunar Tetrad.

 For astronomers and stargazers, the event is to be welcomed with celebration. It should be quite a sight.

Celebrating the Moon

We celebrate the moon in art, fiction and music.  I started pondering music and the moon earlier today after hearing numerous reports about the celestial event Sunday night. Here's what I came up with...

If you believe this is the end...what about Bad Moon Rising by Credence Clearwater Revival ? One of the garage bands I played with performed this.

The Beatles recorded Mister Moonlight. Mister Moonlight is a cover of the tune written by Roy Lee Johnson, and like a lot of tunes about moonlight it's about finding romance. Here's the version by Dr. Feelgood.

I first heard Pink Moon in a Volkswagen commercial. The music made it seem like owning a VW convertible might be a lot of fun. Given the trouble they're having with falsified emissions data, VW might want to bring back Nick Drake's tune. I first heard Nick Drake at Ripon College. Walking through the union one afternoon, there he was playing his guitar and singing. It was a great way to spend 45 minutes between classes.

We used Steve Fobert's "Moon Man - I'm Waiting on You" for pledge. There's a line in a song about a real good contact high and a chorus, "call, fax, email. I'm waiting on you."

Moon Man Link

Van Morrison's Moondance is especially relevant with it's autumnal reference. We danced to Moondance at our October Wedding 28 years ago.

Cat Stevens called Moon Shadow the ultimate optimist song. Indeed!

A tangential connection is Werewolves of London. I used to hear this a lot at Hooligan's on Milwaukee's East Side. Bar patrons would sing along with the howling part of the song. I used to go there after studying to have a Guinness and a cigar while taking in the atmosphere of Hooligan's. If it is the Apocalypse...a Guinness and a good cigar might be a good way to greet the end.

Put these tunes together and a few others and you have a lunar music special on any AAA station. Listening to the music may be an alternative to witnessing the event. It is supposed to be mostly cloudy Sunday night.

All of these songs have a personal connection, but that's what makes music so important.

Podcast Fans - Lovers of Audio

But the headline said...

The headline posted on Inside Radio made me pause. Were people who love podcasts really listening to podcasts six hours a day?  After I read the article I was reassured because if this was true, there would be no future for public radio.

Podcast Fans Love Audio—Six Hours Daily

What the data from Edison Research’s quarterly “Share of Ear” report shows is that podcast lovers listen to a lot of audio. Edison uses a broad definition of audio including radio, satellite, streaming, music videos on YouTube and a consumer’s personal music. 

These are younger, well educated listeners using mobile devices. They spend most of their time listening to podcasts...about  33%. Radio is second with 20% of their time.  They spend over six hours a week listening to audio. The average American spends about fours a week.

Sound Familiar?

Public Radio's audience also consumes a lot of audio. The benchmark in the early 2000's was over six hours a week. The core audience at a station with strong audience appeal was around 12 hours a week.

Other findings, reported by Inside Radio on Friday, include: The shorter the podcast, the more likely listeners will listen to the full podcast. Half of all podcast time spent occurs on mobile devices, followed by computers. And middays and nights are podcasting “primetime.”

What's In It For Public Radio?

A reality check. According tot he research, 5% of all Americans are into podcasts. 95% are not!

 Most of Public Radio's resources need to be centered on drivetime. The content that continues to appeal in drivetime is the news and information public radio produces.  Drivetime is still radio's most important day part. Drivetime should continue to appeal to public radio's biggest audience.

The podcast crowd listens to public radio. We need to make sure we're on the platforms used by this audience. Podcasting is the best way for our content to reach these highly educated consumers of audio. Podcast lovers choose middays and nights to listen to content on their favorite platform. The top ten chart published by iTunes testifies to the appeal of public radio's content to this market segment.

• 1Hidden Brain
• 2This American Life
• 3TED Radio Hour
• 4Serial
• 5Radiolab
• 6Stuff You Should Know
• 7Undisclosed: The State Vs. Adnan Syed
• 8Fresh Air
• 9Guys We F****d
• 10Freakonomics Radio

Is it a question of resources? Local stations need to look at partnerships that will get them into the podcasting game.