A Question of Place
The Carnegie Commission's poetry that defined public radio 30 years ago waxes eloquent
about the "bedrock of localism." Yet while all public radio stations are local,
all public radio programming is not.
Two questions keep emerging as managers
wrestle with local programming investments.
Do listeners appreciate the geographic localness of
programming as much as many of us do?
Do listeners consider it important that their public radio stations reflect their
geographic communities?
While the answer may vary from station to station, AUDIENCE 98
® finds several clues strongly suggesting that
geographic localism is a more compelling concept among
many public broadcasters than it is among most listeners.
No single statistic tells us this conclusively. But we do
see a number of consistent indicators.
Listening
In terms of sheer hours on the air, local programming
dominates the schedules of most public stations across America.
But there’s as much listening to network programming as there is to local –
principally to NPR news magazines and a short list of major, nationally distributed shows.
Most listening to network programming happens when the available radio audience is at
its peak. But placement alone does not account for its over-contribution to listening.
The audience’s loyalty to network programming is 32%. Compare this to its
loyalty of 26% to local programming.
Public radio’s network programming clearly exerts a stronger pull.
On the measure of loyalty it serves our own audience better than our local programming
does.
We might guess that this is, at least in part, a function of the higher quality of
major network programming. But we don’t know for sure.
Personal Importance
Listeners are more likely to consider network programming more important in
their lives than local programming.
For every five public radio listeners,
two consider network programming more personally important than local programming;
one considers local programming more important;
and two rate network and local programming the same.
Individuals’ assessments of programming's personal
importance are strongly influenced by their listening. For instance, those who
don’t listen to local programming are unlikely to consider it important in their
lives. Similarly, those who listen heavily are much more likely to consider it important.
However, something more than sheer use is involved in a
listener’s assessment of personal importance.
That something is "uniqueness."
Programming Uniqueness
Listeners who consider network programming more personally important than local
programming believe strongly that "public radio’s news is unique, not available
on commercial stations."
But those who say local programming is more important than network programming are not
more likely to say "the music on public radio is unique...."
Are listeners telling us that network news is
unique and local music is not? Because the questions were not
posed this way, this conclusion is speculative. But it’s quite logical, as most
listening to network programming is to news, and most listening to local programming is to
music.
We do know for sure that
the personal importance listeners attribute to network programming includes a
component of "uniqueness," while their assessment of local programming does not.
"Local" Versus
"Community"
The definition of what is "local" has changed
significantly in 30 years. New communication technologies have created the
"global village," bringing the world’s news and culture into our homes as a
daily reality.
Most of public radio’s educated listeners have adapted easily to these changes.
They have become, as Bill Siemering once imagined, "citizens of the world."
For them, "community" has transcended geographic boundaries to mean an
association of shared beliefs and interests.
Listeners with a "sense of community" – a concept introduced in the
"Givers" report – feel a strong resonance with public radio’s social
and cultural values and seek it out when traveling or moving residence. They are also more
likely to be givers.
Given their world view it should come as no surprise that
listeners who say network programming is more important share a stronger "sense
of community" than do listeners who prefer local programming.
In other words,
a person’s use of local programming does not contribute to this sense of
community; his or her use of national programming does.
Unfortunately, because of how the questions were asked, we do not know from this study
whether it is the "news" or the "national" component of network
programming that contributes most to this sense of community.
So – do listeners appreciate the geographic localness
of programming as much as many of us do? And do they consider it important that their
public radio station reflects its geographic community?
Not only is network programming generally a stronger audience draw, it is more
important in the lives of many more listeners.
The personal importance people place on network programming transcends their listening.
They find it unique, and through it share a virtual community defined by values,
beliefs, and interests.
Given the information at its disposal, AUDIENCE 98
can find no evidence that listeners feel this way about programming produced locally.
These findings are clear, but far from the last word. They offer strong guidance for
further research and additional thinking.
For More Information
This report highlights the tensions between two communities
– those defined by geographic proximity and those defined by shared
interests and values.
Network programming is currently the most effective at
serving the latter, engendering as it does A Sense of Community that transcends location.
This key AUDIENCE 98
concept was introduced in the Givers report to help explain why
listeners consider their public radio station to be an important part in their lives.
But what about station programming efforts to serve truly
local interests?
In May of this year Springfield, Oregon became A Place in Question. In
a thoughtful essay written in the aftermath of the high school shooting deaths, KLCC
Program Director Don Hein suggests how a "community" station can effectively
address unique local needs.
This is difficult, as the concept of "local news"
on public radio is about as foreign to listeners as "network music." What Do Listeners Think When They Think of
"Local" and "National" Programming? Click here to find out.
Navigate the Report
Examine the
Statistical Analyses Behind the Report, Part 1
(38 pages; 158,272 bytes)
Statistical
Analyses, Part 2
(12 pages; 69,692 bytes)
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Audience Research Analysis
Copyright © ARA and CPB. All rights reserved.
Revised: September 01, 2000 12:38 PM.
