Audience Trends Opportunity 0 Audience opportunity study engaged

Audience Trends & Opportunity 0

Audience opportunity study engaged core, fringe, and non-listeners QUESTIONS • Is there growth potential? • Who could be part of our future audience? • How do we grow the audience on all platforms while continuing to serve our core? • What would attract diverse and younger news and information consumers? 1

Study provides preliminary answers to key questions Is there growth potential? • Yes! And it represents a sizeable opportunity to more than double existing audience. Who is our best growth audience? • We have identified three categories of listeners, each with distinct news and information habits and needs. 2

Three groups of likely public radio listeners, with unique motivations but similar potential Dutiful Aggregators Motivation: sense of obligation to be informed “It’s important to learn about and understand the world around me. ” 39% weekly listeners to NPR Team Leaders Motivation: Leadership “I want to be informed so that I can share information with others. ” 30% weekly listeners to NPR Motivation: Curiosity Voracious Voyagers “I have a passion for learning and discovering. ” 25% weekly listeners to NPR 3

Three groups – a deeper look Dutiful Aggregators (19% of sample) Team Captains (21% of Sample) Voracious Voyagers (21% of Sample) • 45% Age 18 -34 • 45% age 45 -64 • 50% age 18 -34 • 40% non-white • 37% non-white • 25% non-white • Even political split • 41% conservative • Avid media consumers • Optimistic, self-confident, enthusiastic • Liberal and scienceminded • Shades of gray • Overwhelmed - much to know and do • 39% top news – local TV • “Education is important to me”; “I don’t believe in absolutes” • Opportunity: simplifying their chaotic media life • Prone to dive deep • Strong opinions • Technology, culture • 52% top news – local TV • Public radio evangelists • “I believe there’s something out there that is bigger than all of us”; “Spending time with my family is important to me” • 54% top news – web portal • Opportunity: balance and headlines • “There are so many things I still have left to do in life” • Opportunity: love depth; increase listening occasions 4

Preliminary answers to other key questions How do we grow the audience, while continuing to serve our core? • Overcome awareness barrier: over half of non-listeners have only name recognition or are completely unfamiliar with NPR. • Increase brand, content, and physical accessibility. • Brand: Preserve the smart - ditch the stodgy or elite. • Content: Breaking and local news are cost of entry; energize the tone; range of perspectives and balance • Physical: Increase convenience –double down on efforts to reach out on all platforms. What does it mean to serve diverse communities and younger listeners? • Younger and diverse targets in all three groups. Awareness and accessibility consistent issues. Hearing and seeing themselves in the programming is critical. 5

Brand perception overlap between listeners & non-listeners Top Positive Perceptions of NPR Top Negative Perceptions of NPR 6

Tune-in hurdles: urgency, awareness, tone “ NPR Tune-In Hurdles (% Major Reason) “NPR I feel is mostly for educated adults from middle class and up. That is my impression. ” -Male, age 25 -34, Hispanic/Latino, Emerging Platform User “ “I think it [NPR] can be clever and quirky, and smart and insightful. But I don’t choose to listen to it because it’s too much talking for me. ” -Female, age 35 -44, White/Caucasian, Lookalike “ ” ” “If a robot were a radio it would be NPR. ” -Male, age 35 -44, White/Caucasian Lookalike ” 7

Sharing & integrating findings into our work Detailed findings to be shared across public radio community • • At conferences: PRPD, ERPM, WSPR Webinars: PRPD, DEI, PRNDI Online: NPR Member Station site Timing: September – November NPR Work Integration • Senior leadership and editorial leadership • Internal and external work teams • Action plans across news, digital media, programming, communications and member & program services 8