NPR: Staying True to Our Mission in a Changing Media Landscape

Not your father’s NPR:NPR: Staying True to Our Mission in AChanging Media Landscape

February 2011

NPR Mission

The mission of NPR is to work in partnership with member stations to create a more informed public - one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas and cultures.

To accomplish our mission, we produce, acquire, and distribute programming that meets the highest standards of public service in journalism and cultural expression; we represent our members in matters of their mutual interest; and we provide satellite interconnection for the entire public radio system.

A standard-setting producer and distributer of news, information and music programming

Home of two of the three most popular radio programs in the country; Morning Edition and All Things Considered

Honored with the broadcast industry’s most prestigious awards, including 48 George Foster Peabody Awards and 26 Alfred l. duPont-Columbia University Awards to date

Among the most trusted media outlets in America (Roper)

NPR for 40 Years

NPR remains:

Universal Access: Stations in 98% of U.S. Markets

International DistributionNPR Berlin Satellite (Eutelsat Hotbird & SKY)AFRShortwave24% Never lived in U.S. ; 18% no-native English speakers

Domestic DistributionNPR Stations in all 50 States, Puerto Rico, Guam & Virgin IslandsXM/Sirius Satellite

Challenge 1: NPR Brand Image Influencers

NPR in Sights & Sound

Video Address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcyUu3l7lb0

- Lord Kelvin, 1897

English Scientist,

President of the Royal Society

Radio has no future

Challenge 2: Radio Threats

A Dramatic Recent History

1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

1967 Public Broadcasting Act

Internet Streaming

mp

3N

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CD

Bu

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Fil

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Satellite Radio

Inte

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Ra

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Po

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Rad

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Smart Phones

iPad/Tablets

HD

Rad

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Against this backdrop . . . Growth

9/11

CLINTON IMPEACHMENT

HEARINGS

IRAQ WAR

ELECTION ‘04

PRIMARIES AND ELECTION

‘08

THE NUMBER OF LISTENERS TO NPR NEWSMAGAZINE STATIONS IN THE TOP

MARKETS HAS INCREASED BY 56% SINCE 1998

THE NUMBER OF LISTENERS TO NPR NEWSMAGAZINE STATIONS HAS REACHED A NEW RECORD HIGH IN THE

SPRING 2010 SURVEY

SOURCE: ARBITRON MAXIMI$ER/PPM ANALYSIS TOOL, NPR NEWSMAGAZINE STATIONS IN THE TOP 50 METROS, PERSONS 12+, MONDAY-SUNDAY 6AM-12MIDNIGHT

Presence Across PlatformsChallenge 3: Measurement Across Platforms

27 MillionWeekly

14.7 MillionWeekly

Downloads

1.6 MillionMonthly

(mobile site)

700,000Monthly

(news app)

100,000Monthly

(music app)

270,000Monthly

1,483,403 Friends

Source of 8% of

Traffic to npr.org

14 MillionMonthly

Challenge 4: The Elephant in the Room

“I listen to it, my friends listen to it, my family listens to it. [NPR] is one of those things that actually makes me proud to be an American. ”

Moby

Defunding Threat 6 amendments introduced in the House that either cut funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting or prohibit federal funds from being used to purchase NPR services

NPR’s Financial Relationship to Stations

Federal Appropriation

CPB

PBSStations(75%)

NPRStations

(25%) 34cents per adult

Purchase Programs from NPR +

Membership Fee

Research at NPR

NPR listenersTotal U.S. adults

Internal Consultancy: customer satisfaction, program evaluation, needs assessment, performance tracking, service launch & product development, strategic research (segmentation & competitive positioning)

Director

Research Manager,Programming

Research Manager,Digital

Research Manager,Sponsorship & Development

Carriage Manager

Panel Manager

Research Analyst

+ 2 Interns year-round

Web Metrics Analyst

NPR Labs

Research Clients – All Work Units

NPR listenersTotal U.S. adults

Primary Clients Secondary Clients Tertiary Clients

News Member & Program Services

Engineering & Distribution

Acquired Programming Communications (Internal & External)

Finance & Administration

Digital Media ITHuman Resources

Corporate Sponsorship General Counsel

Development Policy & Representation

Research Competencies: Insourcing

NPR listenersTotal U.S. adults

Syndicated Data Arbitron Nielsen

Netview @Plan eMarketer Omniture Gfk MRI

Skills & Resources

Survey Tools Surveymonkey Vovici (listener

panel) 30,000+ participants

Qualitative IDIs Usability testing Guerilla research Online Community

Discussions

Outsourced Research Focus Groups Non-listener

sample/surveys Advanced Analytics Auditorium Testing

Case Study 1: Project Argo

NPR & Station Digital Competition

Case Study 1: Project Argo

Question: Can we execute a successful digital station strategy through subject matter expertise?

Case Study 1: Project Argo

Expert Interviews (NPR Research) Spring 2009 Jeff Cole, Director USC Annenberg Center for Digital

Future Josh Stearns, Project Manager at Free Press Gary Kebbel, Director, Knight Foundation Journalism

Program Sarah Rotman Epps, Analyst, Forrester Research Tom Webster, President, Edison Research Nick Thomas, Analyst, Forrester Research Individual Listener Interviews (Jacobs Media) Ann Arbor & Southfield, MI and Washington, DC

(7/2009) External Recruit

Usability Testing (NPR Research) May 2010 Washington, DC Panelist Recruit

Case Study 1: Project ArgoMusic in Philly

Case Study 1: Project ArgoMilitary in San Diego

Case Study 1: Project ArgoTechnology & Environment in Bay Area

Case Study 2: Monthly Program Resonance Tracking

Problems:

1. Limited internal audience for newly launched listener panel

2. New senior leadership requests our participation in creating an audience-focused organization

Case Study 2: Monthly Program Resonance Tracking

Each Month• 300 respondents per show• Core listeners• All NPR produced programs (Morning Edition, All Things

Considered, Talk of the Nation, Tell Me More, Weekend Edition, Newscast)

Questions• Attention level change from 6 months ago• Listening level change from 6 months ago• Reasons for changes (schedule, satisfaction, topics)• Quality level change from 6 months ago• Likelihood to recommend• Open ends (like most, least, additional comments)

Case Study 2: Monthly Program Resonance Tracking

Our Cup is Full

Audience Engagement

Not just engagement . . . but enthusiasm

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxRgNnue-zk

Lori Kaplan, NPR Director Audience Insight & Research lkaplan@npr.org

Follow NPR Audience Insight & Research on our blog:http://www.npr.org/blogs/gofigure/

September 2010