Audience Research for Public Radio
Despite differences of place, we found that public radio listeners who are drawn to news and information programming are the same from market to market. When they tune to public radio they are seeking depth, intelligence, authenticity, civility and a global perspective.
We found that the primary benefit provided by classical music radio is stress relief. In twelve focus groups across six markets, respondents told us over and over that they use and value the classical music format because “it is soothing.”
Mainstream jazz listeners value authenticity. They appreciate stations that play real jazz. The mainstream stations project integrity because they respect and preserve the true American musical art form.