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Audience Trends & Opportunity

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Audience opportunity study engaged core, fringe, and non-listeners

QUESTIONS

• Is there growth potential?

• Who could be part of our future audience?

• How do we grow the audience on all platforms while continuing to serve our core?

• What would attract diverse and younger news and information consumers?

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Study provides preliminary answers to key questions

Is there growth potential?• Yes! And it represents a sizeable opportunity to more than

double existing audience.

Who is our best growth audience?• We have identified three categories of listeners, each with

distinct news and information habits and needs.

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Three groups of likely public radio listeners, with unique motivations but similar potential

Dutiful AggregatorsMotivation: sense of obligation to be

informed

“It’s importantimportant to learn about and understand the world around me.”

39% weekly listeners to NPR

Team LeadersMotivation: Leadership

“I want to be informed so that I can share informationshare information with others.”

30% weekly listeners to NPR

Voracious VoyagersMotivation: Curiosity

“I have a passion for learningpassion for learning and discovering.”

25% weekly listeners to NPR

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Three groups – a deeper look

Dutiful Aggregators(19% of sample)

Team Captains(21% of Sample)

Voracious Voyagers(21% of Sample)

• 45% Age 18-34

• 40% non-white

• Even political split

• Avid media consumers

• Shades of gray

• Overwhelmed - much to know and do

• 39% top news – local TV

• “Education is important to me”; “I don’t believe in absolutes”

• Opportunity: simplifying their chaotic media life

• 50% age 18-34

• 25% non-white

• Liberal and science-minded

• Prone to dive deep

• Technology, culture

• Public radio evangelists

• 54% top news – web portal

• “There are so many things I still have left to do in life”

• Opportunity: love depth; increase listening occasions

• 45% age 45-64

• 37% non-white

• 41% conservative

• Optimistic, self-confident, enthusiastic

• Strong opinions

• 52% top news – local TV

• “I believe there’s something out there that is bigger than all of us”; “Spending time with my family is important to me”

• Opportunity: balance and headlines

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Preliminary answers to other key questions

How do we grow the audience, while continuing to serve our core?

• Overcome awareness barrier: over half of non-listeners have only name recognition or are completely unfamiliar with NPR.

• Increase brand, content, and physical accessibility.•Brand: Preserve the smart - ditch the stodgy or elite.•Content: Breaking and local news are cost of entry; energize the tone; range of perspectives and balance•Physical: Increase convenience –double down on efforts to reach out on all platforms.

What does it mean to serve diverse communities and younger listeners? • Younger and diverse targets in all three groups. Awareness and

accessibility consistent issues. Hearing and seeing themselves in the programming is critical.

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Brand perception overlap between listeners & non-listeners

Top Positive Perceptions of NPR Top Negative Perceptions of NPR

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Tune-in hurdles: urgency, awareness, tone

NPR Tune-In Hurdles (% Major Reason)“NPR I feel is mostly for

educated adults from middle class and up. That is my

impression.”-Male, age 25-34, Hispanic/Latino,

Emerging Platform User

“”

“I think it [NPR] can be clever and quirky, and smart

and insightful. But I don’t choose to listen to it because it’s too

much talking for me.”-Female, age 35-44, White/Caucasian,

Lookalike

“”

“If a robot were a radio it would be NPR.”-Male, age 35-44,White/Caucasian

Lookalike“

”

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Sharing & integrating findings into our work

Detailed findings to be shared across public radio community

• At conferences: PRPD, ERPM, WSPR• Webinars: PRPD, DEI, PRNDI • Online: NPR Member Station site• Timing: September – November

NPR Work Integration• Senior leadership and editorial leadership• Internal and external work teams • Action plans across news, digital media, programming,

communications and member & program services