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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How many people are really listening?

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Hello, readers of my poor neglected blog. Apologies for not having posted for some time, but the usual deadlines have kept me away. Let’s jump right back in, though, with a look at a new way of measuring radio’s audience that is affecting all formats, including classical.

People outside the radio industry might not be aware of it, but a change is afoot in how radio stations gauge their listenership. Arbitron, the company that gathers ratings data for radio, is moving away from the paper diaries that listeners have long filled out by hand and embracing Portable People Meters — gadgets that can tune into and automatically register a radio station’s signal. This means PPMs should supposedly be more accurate, since they don’t rely on a listener’s possibly delayed or even incorrect recollection of what radio stations they listened to throughout a given day.

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Christmas Music – Bah, Humbug

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You must think I fell into a crevasse while ice-climbing on Mount Rainier, or something.  It’s been a long time since I posted.  I’m working two jobs right now.  I thought I was losing my full time job, so I accepted another position and then didn’t lose the first job — yet.   It’s in flux.  And I still haven’t finished washing all the sheets and towels from wall-to-wall Thanksgiving company.   It goes slowly when I’m busy swearing at the radio.  Honestly… do we have to listen to sixty different arrangements of the same old Christmas carols?  There is fantastic … Continue Reading

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