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The PMCC Knowledge Network (launching in July of 2024) is a collective of consultants and thought leaders that our members can call upon for professional consulting services at no cost, as a benefit of PMCC membership. The Knowledge Network gives you much-needed access to some of the most respected and successful consultants in media. Whether you need help with digital strategy or coaching your hosts, you’ll find the support you need in the Knowledge Network.
PMCC’s audience research studies help you understand audiences from new perspectives.
RUN 2024: Researching Unmet Needs – Following up on our collaboration for the Public Radio Meta-Analysis, PMCC, SRG, Greater Public and City Square Associates are collaborating to conduct a landmark national study of news and music consumers to learn what unmet needs exist in their media usage that public media organizations are uniquely positioned to address. The national study will be in the field later this year and local stations will have the opportunity to participate by adding a local market module that will get you a unique dataset for your own market. The deadline to express interest is May 15, 2024. Send us an email if you would like to participate.
In 2023, PMCC worked in partnership with The Station Resource Group (SRG), Greater Public and our research partners at City Square Associates to compile and analyze more than two dozen local audience research studies from stations of different market sizes, geographies and broadcast formats across the country to perform a “meta-analysis”. The descriptive report identifies common themes, opportunities and threats for both news and music stations and the prescriptive playbook delivers actionable intelligence to a range of decision-makers.
Every year, public radio stations of all shapes and sizes are invited to participate in the Public Radio Tech Survey, which measures the media habits, preferences, behaviors and attitudes of public radio’s most loyal fans. Participating stations receive their own unique results along with the national data set and PMCC members get a significant discount on registration.
This study conducted in 2016/2017 gives us a unique ethnographic look at a key segment of the audience. Researchers at Jacobs Media immersed themselves into the lives of a dozen Millennial public radio listeners, spending a full day with each of them from the time they woke up, through their workday, and back at home, observing their media and lifestyle activities. The project was built on a combination of one-on-one interviews and ethnographic encounters with a diverse cross section of American Millennials.
In 2000, PRPD (now PMCC) launched the Core Values Project with the intent to clearly define and articulate the fundamental appeal of public radio’s programming. Over the next four years, five groundbreaking research studies were conducted to explore the core values of public radio’s most popular programs as well as its three “franchise” broadcast formats; News/Information/Talk, Classical Music and Jazz, the formats that accounted for 92% of all listening to public radio at the time.
The PD Handbook is a comprehensive guide to all aspects of the job of public radio Program Director. With examples and links to important resources, the PD Handbook is an essential go-to guide for anyone working in programming. Currently under revision, find the latest version below.
The Talk Show Handbook focuses on the fundamental basics of producing original talk programming for public radio listeners. While PMCC works on a revision of this handbook, please find a series of checklists and planning materials to help you with the production of your local talk programming. Find the planning materials below.
PD Essentials Guide contains all the links and contact information you need as a new PD. Whether it’s finding your audience data or submitting your playlists to Sound Exchange, this quick reference guide will point you in the right direction. Find the guide below.
