A Closer Look At
Black/African American Listeners

AUDIENCE 98’s pool of responses is big enough to offer a detailed look at   listening by America’s largest minority – those who are Black/African American.

The Obvious Numbers,
The Wrong Conclusions

At first glance, public radio appears to be deficient in service to these listeners.

For instance, much has been made of Black/African American citizens being "under-represented" in public radio’s audience.

However, when we control for the educational appeal of public radio’s programming, we find these listeners to be well represented in the audience. (See You Get What You Play For.)

Similarly, while classical music, Morning Edition, and All Things Considered generate 60 percent of all listening to public radio, there is concern that only 30 percent of all Black/African American listening comes through these doors.

However, far from revealing deficiencies, these numbers show the positive results of opening extra doors to Black/ African Americans. These doors open onto rooms in which three distinct types of Black/African American listeners assemble.

Room One: Transcendent Boomers

One-in-five Black/African American listeners gather in Room One, where they chat with people of all races who share their values and seek the same hallmark public radio programming: national news, information, and entertainment, combined with locally-produced music.

These Black/African American listeners are well educated: most have been to college and half have earned advanced degrees. They enjoy the financial rewards of that education, with annual household incomes averaging $65,000. They have much in common, as most are Actualizer or Fulfilled Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964). Over half are men.

Room Two: Transcendent Elders

Room Two is racially integrated as well. Those who enter may catch Morning Edition or ATC on the way in; however, they enter primarily to hear locally produced jazz and talk programs.

Two-in-five Black/African American listeners congregate in Room Two. Most are men. Half are in the Swing Generation (born between 1933 and 1945). Half have been to college. And although their educational levels and household incomes ($54,000) are lower than listeners in Room One, both are well above those of Black/African Americans who do not listen to public radio.

Room Three: Targeted Music Listeners

Fully three-quarters of the listening in Room Three is to locally produced music shows. Much of this is to jazz, blues, r&b, even classical. In a corner of the room is a cluster of younger people – half are Black/African American – listening to urban contemporary music.

Two-in-five Black/African American public radio listeners converge in Room Three. Most have not attended college. Their annual household incomes average $41,000 – higher than the average U.S. Black/African American household income of $33,000. Most are not VALS Actualizers or Fulfilleds of any form. Over half are women.

Three Rooms Contrasted

Rooms One and Two are filled by public radio’s strategy to transcend race. Their appeal is indifferent to race or ethnic background. Entry assumes a certain level of education and a certain set of values. While containing most of public radio’s Black/African American listeners, they are crowded with large numbers of other listeners as well.

Age is the main difference between listeners in these two rooms: Boomers are more comfortable in Room One, their parents are more at home in Room Two.

Much of the programming heard in Room Three is focused on race – particularly urban contemporary music. By focusing on an audience defined by race – a powerful strategy in the highly segmented radio medium – these stations set themselves apart from those heard in the other two rooms.

– Frank Tavares
AUDIENCE 98 Associate

– David Giovannoni
AUDIENCE 98 Core Team

 

Audience Research Analysis
Copyright © ARA and CPB.  All rights reserved.
Revised: September 01, 2000 12:38 PM.