While news stations, newspapers, and other commercial media outlets struggle to stay afloat and relevant within a struggling industry, one surprising member of the journalism pack continues to grow and flourish: public radio. Ratings and sales may be in decline among its peers, but public radio’s numbers continue to grow at a steady rate. How is it that these stations, which rely solely on government funding and donations from the community (neither of which have much to give these days), have been able not only to weather the recession, but to practically soar above it and become models for the rest of the industry?
More Engaging News, Fewer Annoying Commercials
To answer this question, I went to Jo Anne Wallace, vice president and general manager for KQED Public Radio, an award-winning Bay Area station that has more listeners than any other public radio station in the United States. A self-described veteran of the industry (she’s worked in public radio since the early 1970s), Jo Anne is used to people asking her the secret to public radio’s success—she gets the same question from colleagues in the journalism industry still trying to play catch-up. “As the advertising support for newspapers and broadcast news began to crumble, especially with the emergence of … news available on the Web, people began to think about public radio, especially because public radio has such a strong news service,” she shares. “A lot of people are [wondering] whether non-commercial, not-for-profit journalism as a business model is what we should look at in the future.”
The fact that public radio stations don’t have to rely on (and cater to) advertisers is one of their biggest advantages. Federal and state governments actually set aside money for public radio through sources like the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a nonprofit set up by Congress in 1967. However, that only provides a portion of public radio’s funds—the rest comes from both private donations (such as people calling in during station pledge drives to become members and give money every month) and underwriters. Underwriters are like advertisers, but the FCC puts limits on what they can say and for how long. That way, listeners aren’t inundated with an endless barrage of commercials for diamond centers, restaurants, and family fun parks. Instead, we get a few seconds of someone with a calm, pleasant voice speaking matter-of-factly about some product or service—a mere blip between programs.
