Public radio

Stations share experiences with midday music research

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For almost two years, a small set of classical public radio stations have been trying to draw more listeners during middays by changing the music they play. The casual listener might not even be aware of the changes, but station programmers are aware that the process is systematic and grounded in extensive research backed by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

I wrote a few posts about this some time ago, and just recently I wrote an update for Current, the trade newspaper that covers public broadcasting. I hope you find it enlightening — its starting point was a session at the Public Radio Program Directors’ conference in September, where station programmers shared their results due to the changes. As I learned, it’s made a big difference for some stations.

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Boston’s Classical Shapeshifting – Updated

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Update 12/18: A new article in the Boston Globe here…

Before I talk about Boston, I want to thank those of you who made suggestions about better Xmas programming.  Even without actually hearing the music you suggested, I can hear it in my head and it makes me smile.  The wonderful trio from Berlioz’s L’enfance du Christ — wow, gorgeous.  If you haven’t played it on your station yet this year, please do.  And so many other great suggestions.  Sounds like a lot of you are enriching your listeners.

Boston is going through growing pains with the new classical switchover from WCRB to WGBH.

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Classical goes down on Orlando’s WMFE

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As Mona asked in a tweet yesterday, “Is there something in the water in Florida?” Though the more appropriate question may be, “Is there something in the water in public radio?” Because another dual-format public radio station, WMFE in Orlando, has dumped classical from its schedule.

Well, not entirely. Like Gainesville’s WUFT, which made a similar move in August, WMFE is moving the classical music to an HD channel. The station’s president says “It’s not like we’re eliminating classical music,” but come on — for what’s no doubt the vast majority of the station’s audience, that not true.

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You Are Old, Father William, the Walrus Said

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With apologies to Lewis Carroll for conflating his poems, and thanks to alert reader Dorron Katzin, I’d like to call your attention to a new study by Walrus Research, demonstrating that those of us who like classical music on the radio are aging.  In fact, those who don’t like classical music on the radio are aging, too.  It reminds me of the announcers who say, “it’s 10 am here on KING-FM.”

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