Building the Next Era of Public Radio
Public radio is facing a historic turning point following the defunding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. While the challenges are serious, new data from the 2025 Techsurvey points to opportunities for reinvention, renewed support, and a more resilient future as broadcaster build next era of public radio.
Building the Next Era of Public Radio
by Fred Jacobs via Jacobs Media
With fewer conventions and conferences these days, you have to take advantage and salvage the ones still left. In just the past few weeks, I had the pleasure of attending and presenting at Morning Show Boot Camp in Austin. And last week it was the Public Media Content Collective gathering (former known as PRPD, the Public Radio Program Directors association) in Salt Lake City.
Both events were well designed and enthusiastically attended. I’ve told you about my Boot Camp appearance in an earlier post. So, I won’t take you back there. My PMCC session went well. I was the last event of the entire conference, but my Public Radio Techsurvey 2025 presentation was enthusiastically received by the weary crowd.
Why weary? It has little to do with the party atmosphere in SLC. In fact, it’s been the epitome of turbulence for public radio professionals, whether in New York City or Nome, whether their format is News/Talk or Classical, or whether they’ve been in the business for decades or for just a cup of coffee or two. The “centerpiece” of their angst was the passage of the rescission bill earlier this year, effectively defunding public radio (and TV) as we’ve known it for years on end.
Please put aside your feelings about public media as you read this post. It is not a debate about the wisdom (or lack thereof) of the recission but has everything to do with how broadcast radio can navigate treacherous waters moving forward. Unlike other forms of radio that continue down the middling path, trying to stay profitable and sustainable, public radio got the “ziggy”—its pink slip—back in June/July as both chambers of our legislative branch along with the President made it official: there is no reason for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to exist. And in just a matter of days after the votes, CPB made it official and announced its dissolution.
As tragic as this might seem for most public radio stations and organizations—and make no mistake about it—it’s a crisis—it also opens up the possibilities moving forward. It’s like being handed a white board. May the most creative, clever, and bold come out on top.
Of course, not everyone in public radio fits that description. In fact, most would probably be a lot happier with what was the status quo—Morning Edition, pledge drives, and tote bags. But not now. The familiar, comfortable trappings have been removed. Many public media entities are laying off staffers at an alarming rate. Meanwhile, jaws are clenched, hands are wringing, and the future is suddenly very uncertain.
So, in this environment I walked into the Little America hotel and conference center to deliver the key findings from our 17th annual Public Radio Techsurvey. Now, in anticipation of the turbulence facing public radio, we included a lot of new questions this year, while eliminating some less germane queries we’d been asking and trending for years.
As I said to our staff months ago, PRTS 2025 needed to address some of the existential questions facing public radio stations at the midpoint of one crazy, unpredictable year. And I think we may have hit goal.
This post isn’t going to revisit all the results of this year’s findings, gathered from the nearly 19,000 mostly core public radio listeners from across “this American life.” Instead, it will examine a handful of key takeaways that you’ll find relevant whether you’re programming a Country station in Boston or a Christian contemporary outlet in Biloxi.
One of the key differences between what public radio stations have had to contend with for the good and the bad has been the Trump news cycle. You can see it in the chart below, perhaps the key finding of PRTS 2025. For the past many years, we have included this agree/disagree statement:
“As a result of the current political climate, I’m providing increased support to public radio”
Note: The wording was a little different in 2017-18.
Public radio experienced what became known as “The Trump Bump” as the first term rolled along. That generally meant solid fundraising (as this chart would suggest) as well as higher ratings. But it was quickly followed by “The Trump Slump” which we saw in PRTS data starting as COVID was rolling along back in 2020, mostly continuing through last year.
But Trump’s re-election in late 2024 followed by that first 100 days in office early this year triggered a “Trump Bump” unlike anything we’ve seen before. Last year, only 11% strongly agreed they were feeling the urge to dig deeper and donate more to their favorite public radio stations, political climate or not. But Trump 2.0 set off the alarms. In our new study, nearly three in ten—a whopping 29%—strongly concurred with the idea to contribute more to these stations in these challenging times that impact their operations. That’s almost 3x more than last year, and a reason why so many public radio stations are already experiencing record fundraising activities in most markets.
How long will this amazing “bump” last? We don’t know, of course. And that’s why there’s that red question mark at the end of our timeline. But if past is prologue, it would probably be a mistake to assume its sustainable. And that’s why I expressed the idea that public radio stations would be wise to address nagging and unsolved crises questions now before everything settles down, as it eventually did in 2020.
In essence, public radio may have some damage to address if and when this new bump dissipates. But it also has some fascinating opportunities that should be faced head-on as well. As the graphic at the top of today’s post symbolizes (created by AI, by the way). There is a path, a way forward for public radio in America that could theoretically leave it stronger as a result of being bullied on the media playground.
Here’s how I’ve identified them:
- Redefine coverage via broadcast and everything else by reflecting the local area– As commercial stations in many markets have eliminated “street teams,” station vehicles, and audience marketing personnel and departments, public radio operations may be able to fill this void in many metros. The massive “RUN” study (Researching Unmet Needs) conducted by City Square Associates last year reached this same conclusion—local matters. But gaining a foothold in the hometown environs requires commitment, creativity, and savvy.
- Generate “eye contact” in the local market – Yes, it’s related to the first point. And it means more than being one of 25 sponsor logos on T-shirts for the market’s big marathon. It means being wherever people congregate whenever possible.
- Diversify fundraising and giving – The pledge drive is often perceived as that icky spoonful of castor oil that may be good for public radio stations, but as a consumer, it is becoming harder and harder to swallow. This is another area we’re going to address by using the results of PRTS 2025. No one’s saying that pledge should be retired, because it still works. But integrating it with other fundraising concepts throughout the year might not only provide relief from pledge, but also introduce viable, effective alternatives outside of “pledge weeks.”
- Develop content and people – And that means not just cranking out digital assets like podcasts, short videos, and even event marketing. Public radio needs to produce radio programming, preferably that reflects the aforementioned local vibe. Over the years, many stations have simply shuffled (and reshuffled) programs that come from networks that include NPR, APM, PRX, and others. This activity will require the development of a true pipeline, talent coaching, and other assets in order to carve out bona fide effective, and even local programming that connects to the market, as well as personalities that matter.
I will continue this train of thought on Friday, amplifying each of these four opportunity areas, along with examples of how they can be done.
It was the Greek philosopher, Plato, who coined the phrase, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” That’s the gambit in which public radio in America now finds itself.
I’ll be looking at solutions that should help stimulate conversation at the station level that ensure these stations are very much viable and around for decades to come.
Does PRTS 2025 address all the problems facing public radio during this critical times? Not even close. But hopefully it provides the framework for solutions, as well as choosing the optimal track today.
Fred Jacobs founded Jacobs Media in 1983, and quickly became known for the creation of the Classic Rock radio format. Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched – a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created – a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the “connected car” and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media’s commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment. Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
