Rural Programming Initiative
Final Report, WVUB

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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.

The primary goals set and achieved through data received through this project were to increase our listenership to levels that would allow WVUB to return to Level 5 funding and to increase our audience for news within our area. Our secondary goal of using the data to increase our underwriting funding was abandoned as this would require increased staffing and we felt this would not be cost productive.

2. Has there been a financial impact-either 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.

By using the data received through his project we were able to increase our listenership. We learned when people listened and were able to increase listenership in areas that were lower in audience levels. By doing this we gained enough audience to increase our listenership to levels that new underwriters were actually calling us wanting to be a part of our programming. We increased our underwriting funding levels approximately 50% without hiring additional staff.

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

By using the survey information received through the first survey we found few people tuned into our station for news and information. In fact, listeners actually tuned away when our news started. We then refocused our style, frequency and types of news covered on WVUB. Our specific audience and the audience we felt unserved in this area was the 18-54 female. This person listens more frequently and for longer periods of time than the average listener. By addressing the needs of a young housewife, office worker and young adult through music and increased information and news we felt we could benefit from this new fulltime listener and the listener could benefit by having news and information specifically directed to them. Our newscasts were shortened from half hour programs three times a day to ninety second newscasts 10 times per day. The busy housewife and office worker does not have the time to listen to long newscasts and therefore tuned away when we aired them in the longform. Our new newscasts are short, informational and well listened to. By the time we received the final survey information we had increased our news listenership and had been able to gain credibility and respect with our more narrow audience for our news. In addition to increased news listenership our more focused and narrowed target audience helped us to increase our cume and Average Quarter Hour numbers.

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?

People listen to public radio for different reason than they listen to commercial broadcasting. By focusing on your intended listener and supplying them with the type and style of programming they want, audience levels can increase and stabilize.