Marijuana Radio in Denver

Pot-Branded Station Lights Up Denver

Talk about core loyalty!

Smokin' 94.1 is all about the pot smoker's lifestyle

Will this work? Will they be able to build a large enough audience to entice advertisers?

Significant Programming for a Significant Audience

Many successful public radio stations thrive on core loyalty. If you're not sure what that is...There's a publication that was the product of Audience 98 called "Public Service - Public Support." The report is long, but it is worth reading. All of the findings can be distilled into two key concepts.

Public service begets public support. 

Public support focuses public service. 

Successful stations actively pursued significant programming for a significant audience. The public radio audience was further defined as being highly educated and engaged Baby Boomers.  Because the programming appealed to a the values and lifestyle of the targeted audience, those listeners spent more time with the station and became loyal. The growth in listenership was astounding.

Targeted Lifestyle

The new pro pot station in Denver, Smokin' 94.1 promised to be a musical lifestyle format. The music will be classic rock. A similar format idea was part of radio in the late Sixties and early Seventies. These stations featured Album Oriented Rock before the music was codified into a format and corporatized. Many of the stations self identified as being underground and programmed to those who were part of the counter-culture. The stations failed to generate enough advertising to support themselves. There were only so many head-shops, record stores, concert venues and sub sandwich shops in the market.

A quick look at their website revealed nothing about advertisers. A good match might be donut shops, salty snacks and places that can satisfy the munchies.

They're playing hits, but other musical choices might include Quicksilver Messenger Service's, Fresh Air and Bob Marley's Kaya.

Radio Warned About Hackers

As we adapt the leading edge of digital technology, have we become more susceptible to cyber attack? Some local stations have been taken off the air. The air signal isn't the only thing hackers can play havoc with.

Inside radio posted two articles about the dangers of being hacked.

Alarm sounded for stations to step-up cyberattack preparations.

Some operators are already solidifying cyber defenses.

Rear Admiral (ret.) David Simpson, chief of the FCC Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau says it no a matter of if, but when. For now the FCC wants to see stations to voluntarily have a back-up plan in place. He says the FCC is considering mandates. SONY and a French TV network were taken down by hackers earlier this year. ISIS attacked the French network.

So many stations are now going to the Cloud. The fear is the security of those cloud based systems. Local stations have valuable information hackers want like credit card numbers and other personal information. There are also concerns about EAS System. It was hacked setting off false alarms.

Cable News Coverage Can Distort (Update)

Are we missing the point in Baltimore? 

That would seem to be the case based on early coverage on cable news. So much of the coverage was based on speculation...looking for somebody to blame. The use of video wallpaper (The Burning CVS) shown for days distorts what is really going on. Politico's Jack Shafer points out that running the continuous loop of a burning store or burning car distorts coverage. The riot is real news, and it's good for ratings, but there is so much more depth to this story.

Poverty in Baltimore affects one in four, according to Census figures. 

More than 37 percent of Baltimore's children were living in poverty in 2011, up from 28 percent in 2007, according to Census Bureau estimates. The city's childhood poverty rate is unchanged from 2010.Sep 20, 2012

Unemployment in the poorer sections of Baltimore is around 19%.  Forbes published an article by Dan Diamond about why Baltimore burned, and it's really about the two Baltimores. There's a stunning graphic in the article that shows the difference between the two.

The issues surrounding poverty in Baltimore go back a long way. An article published by the Washington Post and Post tv found the roots of Baltimore's ills dating back to the 1950's when high paying jobs started leaving the city.

The riots are en expression of frustration. Martin Luther King, Jr. called riots the language of the unheard. King was not condoning riots, but he understood why they happen.

It Could Happen Anywhere

The poor conditions found in Baltimore exists in many urban centers in the United States. That means the potential for riots are embedded in communities across the country. For example, The median household income in Hartford is around $29,000. The median household income in Connecticut is around $69,000. It's a huge disparity in the richest state in the country. These statistics are based on figures published by the US Census Bureau in 2013. You can look for figures for your community at their website. I found Hartford's statistics on their Quickfacts page.

Some Go Deeper

Forbes, the Washington Post, NPR and others are taking a deeper look at the causes to the riots in Baltimore. It is easy to see it is about more than just race. It's about grinding poverty and the feelings of powerlessness that go along with poverty.

The Power of the Podium

Local public radio stations can take on the opportunity this presents to be involved in a meaningful way with their community. We have a bully pulpit and we can make a difference while serving the our listeners and the needs of the communities we cover. This issue calls for sustained coverage long after the cable networks have moved on to the next plane crash or back to Hilary Clinton's email or Benghazi.

On Air Pledge Drive In Perspective

Over 2,000 Pledges! 

So Disappointing.

I was listening to the last day of my public radio station's pledge drive. The talent was thanking just over 2,000 contributors. That seems pretty exciting...right?

Not really.

A lot of hard work went into garnering pledges from less than 1% of their audience over a nearly two week span. If you look at the success of this drive based on the core audience...the response came from about 2% of the core audience. I think it is safe to assume the drives are grinding up and chasing away the audience.

It was noted in the research that came out of Audience '98 that on air drives were akin to trimming your toenails with a shotgun. I've always thought how much better life would be for the staff and the audience if all those calls would come during a five day span...or less.  

Looking for a Better Way

A look at audience trends, programming and the impact of the programming can help plan and forecast the effectiveness of fundraising efforts. If all is okay with the audience...A lot more leverage...please.

Valuing Civil Discourse

Core Values

Have you noticed how politics has devolved? There seems to be very little that is rationally discussed. Discussions on cable news have become filled with vitriol, shouting and hate. The anger and vitriol of cable news is parroted by millions. Any rational debate is lost in the name calling. As a result politics is all about personal attack. According to Pew Research, political polarization is affecting daily life, and the results are negative. Antipathy is causing gridlock in Washington and in many states. People from both parties view the other party as a threat to the nation's well-being. 27% of Democrats see the Republicans as a threat to the nation's well-being. 36% of Republicans see Democrats as a threat to the nation's well-being. The appetite for bipartisan solutions is diminished.

Most Americans are not uniformly conservative or liberal. They believe their representatives should meet halfway to resolve contentious issues. Yet, the majority in the middle remains on the edges of the political playing field. But, as Pew points out, those joining the political extremes are growing in numbers.

This antipathy does not apply to Public Radio's core audience.
Public Radio did some research to discover its Core Values of Public Radio. Those values were published by the Public Radio Program Directors Association. The goal was to find the values that made the top programs on public radio so appealing to its audience. The ultimate goal was to apply those values to local programming. They are: 

Qualities of the Mind and Intellect

Love of lifelong learning

Substance

Curiosity

Credibility

Accuracy

Honesty

Respect for the listener

Purpose

Qualities of the Heart and Spirit

Humor

Idealism

Inspired about public life and culture

Belief in civility and civil discourse

Generosity

Qualities of Craft

A uniquely human voice

Pacing that's appropriate to the substance of the content

Attention to the smallest details of music, sound, language

Since I share many of those values, I take them to heart. Civil Discourse is one of the most important values when it comes to making decisions during elections. Without it, people are focusing on all the wrong issues. You don't believe me? Just watch.

Hilary Stops at Chipotle

It is revealing when the journalist in the middle tries to insert some real analysis into the discussion, the other members of the panel seem stunned...just for a second...then go back to their snide comments. I come from a public broadcasting background. We focussed our efforts on the Core Values of Public Radio in our reporting and local programming. Something we learned is it may not be impossible to be completely objective as a reporter. It is not impossible to be fair. Public Radio is held to a higher standard by its audience. Local programming needs mirror national programming by reflecting those values.

News Coverage - Going Deeper

Looking For Depth

There are stories that lend themselves to in depth coverage. In depth coverage is something public radio listeners expect. They want to look beyond the headlines. These stories also lend themselves to continuing coverage.

After the crash of 2008, listeners looked to public radio and television to give a broader perspective to the great recession. Because of the slow recovery and other issues, this story is still with us.

Disappointing Numbers

Lower than expected job numbers came out last Friday. The number of new jobs was about half of what was expected. NPR reports that 126,000 new jobs were created. Experts were thinking the economy would add 245,000 new jobs in March.

March Employment Report Shows Growth — But Disappointing Numbers

For U.S. Workers, The March Of Progress Slows Down

Contributing Factors

Some are saying the weather had a lot to do with the disappointing numbers. Because of the series of storms that rolled through in February and March...the construction industry took a hit. So did oil drilling.

Taking the Long View

There might be something deeper according to Doug Handler, chief U.S. economist at IHS Global Insight. The economy has been expanding for six years. The thought is this might be a cooling in the economy after a period of sustained growth. Looking further at the longer trend, unemployment over the past year has improved from 6.6% to 5.5% in one year. March may have been a blip...or it may be the tip of the iceberg. Either way, the story lends itself to coverage that goes beyond the headlines. It can go beyond the two in depth stories linked to above.

Something Bigger

As I look through the story ideas below, it occurs to me I'm defining APM's Marketplace's Sustainability Desk. or Marketplace itself. I'm also thinking in terms of using station resources to create something that will have a lasting impact on the listeners we serve. There needs to be a place where overarching stories come to live. A program where these big issues can be discussed. A destination program where we can go deeper. You might be thinking, "No way. We don't have the resources." Think again, You don't have to go it alone. There are partnerships and alliances that can be created to find the resources.

Depth

There are other issues that are effected and effect the employment figures including:

• Unemployment in your region
• The real jobless rate.
• Have people given up?
• Underemployment/Temporary employment.
• The working poor.
• Discrimination. (Estimates of the cost of racism reach as high as two trillion dollars a year.) 
• Unemployment and race 
• Sexism.    
• Ageism.
• Faithism.
• Low wage jobs.
• Job training.
• SNAP benefits.
• Unemployment and social services.
• Unemployment benefits.

These are just some of the issues that could be explored, but I think you get the idea. Jobs matter to our listeners. The economy matters to our listeners. I think we owe it to them to cover this with more than the headlines or just one three-and-a-half minute feature.

What are the top of mind issues for your audience?

Eye Off The Ball?

Issues like Right to Work, Hilary Clinton's Email and Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) generate a lot of heat, but they may be beside the point. The South Central Federation of Labor in Wisconsin polled a wide variety of Wisconsinites including middle class, working class, small business owners, people with jobs and the unemployed. They wanted to measure the importance of the "Right to Work Bill" to Wisconsinites.

Right to Work did not make the cut. What Did?

• Raising wages
• Maintaining quality schools
• Basic community improvements
• Job training opportunities
• More affordable education
• Good housing

What would have more impact in news coverage? What would make for positive outcomes? What coverage would engage the community? The six points above would have a meaningful effect on the community. Or, do we let others set the agenda? 

RFRA, Hilary's email and Right to Work certainly merit coverage, but balance is needed. I think it is important to cover the issues that resonate with the community. It is important to cover what really matters. Reporting on the issues resonate with the news consumer's values will have a lasting effect. And, think about how issues like "Right to Work" can be seen through a much broader and impactful lens like good jobs, job training, increasing incomes, etc. Talk with people in other parts of the country about what has worked and what has not worked after "Right to Work" laws have been enacted in other parts of the country.

When we launched "Where We Live" at WNPR we asked ourselves, What are the key issues that define Connecticut? We came up with a list of six. The issues have been redefined and refined since the launch in 2006, but talking about issues that resonate with the audience is key to the success of the program and the station.