Why do people listen to public radio?
Answer: Credible programming, deeper news perspective, ongoing learning and respect for the intelligence of the listener.
These elements are “the four pillars of public radio’s value proposition,” according to Jacobs Media, which has been conducting tech surveys for six years in partnership with the Public Radio Program Directors Association and is about to release its latest study.
Each of those elements is mentioned by more than seven in 10 respondents as main reasons for listening to public radio stations, Jacobs says. The company will present findings at the Public Radio Program Directors Convention in Portland, Ore., in September.
Jacobs, a media consultancy, summarized other findings of its study:
-Three-fourths of respondents agree that public radio news efforts are not influenced by advertisers or sponsors.
-Streaming, both audio and video, continues to grow at a rapid pace. On a weekly basis, six in 10 access online video, while nearly half stream audio every week.
-Seven in 10 respondents own a smartphone while over half carry a tablet, with Apple the preferred platform.
-Public radio stations are “off the chart” for the value of their “word of mouth,” as measured by what Jacobs calls the Net Promoter Score.
Other findings: The “connected car” is growing in importance as more listeners pair a phone or MP3 player in the vehicle. Of the most popular social media platforms, Twitter shows strong year to year growth. And more than a third of these public radio fans say they’re increasingly accessing news from digital sources like websites and texts.
