Creating A Public Radio Program Buzz

  From the Top is taking its roadshow to Utah Public Radio. The program was recently added to their line-up.      

Getting involved with remotes of national programming helped launch WNPR's change in programming focus. WNPR was able to generate community and listener excitement around StoryCorps, Wait, Wait and A Prairie Home Companion.
Here's some of the positive results we had at WNPR:

• Listeners loved it.
• Press coverage about the station increased.
• The appearances created development opportunities.
• Staff became involved. All of this was a positive experience for them.

 UPR is experiencing some of that glow. The Salt Lake Tribune has press coverage today. There will be more coverage as the event draws closer. UPR also has the news posted on their Website and Facebook Page.




From the Top airs on UPR Friday afternoons at 2:00 and Sunday nights at 9:00.  

Garrison Keillor 'Rethinking' Retirement Plans | AllAccess.com

It has to be hard to leave this all behind. Stay tuned. There will be more before 2013.

What's your thinking on this?
Should he stay?

Will he be on the road more? Less?
What's APM's take?

Are still able to raise member dollars around APHC?

Before you jump that shark (take it off the air)...find out what your core audience thinks. Don't base your changes merely on your fund drive.

I've made some hasty decisions in the past. Two were additions to the schedule and one was a deletion from the schedule. All three led to decreases in the core audience (P1 listeners). In the core there were fewer occasions and shorter duration per occasion. The result was a decrease in listener sensitive income (A combination of member dollars and underwriting revenue). The decreases were overall...not just during those programs.

In each case we made changes. We added back the show I dropped. We made a big deal about it with a special event, letters to members and an OES (Optimum Effective Schedule) promotional run. We were pretty quiet about the two shows we dropped. We had calls and letters complaining about the changes but, we were prepared with bullet pointed talking points. In the end we increased our core audience and increased occasions and duration.

Garrison Keillor 'Rethinking' Retirement Plans | AllAccess.com

Raising Awareness

In public radio circles we've often discussed raising awareness about what we have to offer. Getting outside the building and actually participating in the community is a great way to increase awareness. Just waiting for the audience to come to us can be painfully slow. The increased connections created by these events not only increases public awareness but can also enhance marketing opportunities.
Where I used to work, Where We Live goes on the road regularly. Bringing A Prairie Home Companion and Wait Wait to Connecticut greatly benefited the station, the programs and the audience.
Now Michael Barone and Pipedreams are doing the same. According to an article in the Miami Herald, "Michael Barone, the host of American Public Media's Pipedreams, is bringing the first ever Pipe Organ Weekend festival to Miami."