Agreeing that the best way to beat the competition is to attack your self, National Public Radio announced plans for a new morning news block aimed at 25-44 year olds. Ken Stern, CEO of NPR, said, "One size doesn't fit all," said Stern. "This ... group is underserved by the media seeking smart, thoughtful content relevant to their lives. This is a logical opportunity."
The news and information service will be carried on broadcast stations, HD Radio multicast channels, Web sites, and via satellite.
A number of major market news and talk station program directors agreed during e-mail exchanges with me. One colorful commercial broadcaster said, "The 'evil empire' finally does something right." Another, in New York City, said, NPR’s catering to a younger market just makes it even tougher for his legacy operation.
Stern said NPR will hire hosts and staff for the new project which will be produced from the network's New York bureau. Multimedia will be an integral part of the project, Stern said, suggesting a strong Web presence which will include video.
NPR said its “Morning Edition” newsmagazine is the to-rated morning radio program in the U.S. with 13 million listeners weekly.
Another interesting attempt at a younger audience by public radio is Minnesota Public Radio's 89.3 The Current. Its a great selection of commercial free, alternative music. Very popular in the Twin Cities and a good web feed:
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/services/the_current/
Posted by: Mark | Jan 04, 2007 at 16:23