Rural Programming Initiative
Final Report, WKMS

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1. You set some programming-related goals for your station when we began this project.
Please describe which ones you have accomplished; which ones you are still working on and where you are in that process; which ones you have abandoned and why you abandoned them.

We set these goals: increase public service through audience growth; begin to make a decision about a legacy classical host's transition; address messy Sunday morning schedule; and deal with the conflict of athletic broadcasts in schedule.
Those accomplished: A&A reports that WKMS listening by average AQH has doubled in the last two years. A scan of the 4 surveys shows that both the cume and the percentage of regular listeners are up. We appear to be pulling in occasional listeners whom we need now to convert to core listeners (the numbers of whom haven't increased in this time). We also need to capitalize on the unique audience strength developing due to our weekend schedule. We have noticed more robust fundraising on the weekends during this project period. These occasional listeners stay with WKMS over the weekend, showing that they don't go to other stations as often as weekday listeners do.
The conversion of afternoon programming to news from classical, appears to be a hit, even though the classical listeners continue to grumble. The Sunday rollover of A Prairie Home Companion seems to be taking hold, attracting more listeners earlier in the day. Our project leaders say we're in a strong position to raise rates, which we will do in 2004.

Those still working on: Internally there remains conflict about the interruption to our programming stream by athletic broadcasts. Dialogue with our licensee has not resulted in any foreseeable amendment to this issue. We also continue to stew over which way to go with the 9 to noon slot weekdays, given the retirement of our senior classical producer. This further impacts the 7 to 9 slot weeknights, traditionally assigned to classical. Do we alienate this segment of our audience by moving away from classical, since five hours a day doesn't seem to satisfy them? How can we localize the programming to make it more important to our region without compromising quality and overtaxing station resources? With whom should we speak about our questions and doubts without ceding the programming decision? What should the classical footprint on WKMS sound like? Which is more important, to target station resources for news or to target station resources for more music, including local production?

2. Has there been a financial impact-directly or indirectly-as a result of your participation in this project? (For example, has membership increased or decreased; have you used the research to get new underwriters or raise your rates; have you used the research in seeking and getting grants). Please tell us the percentage increase or decrease in financial support since the summer of 2001 that can be tied to programming and/or the use of the research.

Concurrent with our participation in this project, WKMS has experienced steady growth in membership contributions, from a $70,000 per fundraiser level in FY02 to this fall's record $93,000 total. We have moved a staff position from news production to hire a membership coordinator for FY 03-04, anticipating that the changes in programming and fundraiser growth could be further ratcheted up given audience growth and accelerated contact with listeners through e-newsletters. We also received a RLAIF Bonus Grant from CPB on the basis of efficiency in the collaborative group buy of research data. This was the first time the station has used professionally administered phone surveys to gather data, since it is generally cost prohibitive.

3. Please summarize what you have learned about programming and listening at your station as a result of your participation in this project.

I think we've started thinking more about consistency of appeal, about programming decisions representing an overall approach for audience service. When you look at places on your schedule where research shows no discernible audience, it seems like a waste of time rather than a mission fulfilling throwaway. It's important to learn that people listen more to other stations than they do yours, that we are for many listeners a valued second choice rather than a vital market leader. Our region listens to rock and country in greater numbers than they turn to us. Is it unrealistic to think about challenging the supremacy? And what will do it, within mission? Our surveys showed that respondents cherish WKMS for the music more than for the news, statistically. That challenges our sense that the news/talk we added in 2001 is a model for the rest of the weekday. In summary, the project brings more information to the gazing ball that we turn to contemplate programming changes for our station and reinforced that we benefit from talking with other stations more often to learn their experiences.

4. Can you generalize from anything you have learned about programming and listening at your station that would be useful for other rural public radio stations?

A. Rural public radio stations need to nurture small staffs, to entertain widespread audience, and to become more relevant to their listeners' lives.