Public radio ratings

[Russ Butler]

In my newspaper today (3.22.07) there's a long article on public radio 
stations' popularity, nationally, and that ARB ratings cannot be 
touted.  However, there is a Top 20 list of public broadcasters in the 
country and WGBH radio is not on it!!

They've posted the "cume" ratings from Arbitron to reflect the station's 
listening audience as a percentage of the population of the market.  The 
three Vermont Public Radio stations are listed:  #2 is VPR with 22% of 
the audience in Montpelier-Barre-St-Johnsbury;  #5 VPR with 19% in the 
Burlington-Plattsburg ADI; and # 11 VPR with 16.4% in 
Lebanon-Rutland-White River Jct.

New Hampshire Public Radio (WEVO) is # 6 with 18.1% in the Concord-Lake 
Regions, and Portland, ME (WMEA) is # 8 with 17.2% of the audience.  
That's it for New England and no WGBH-FM.  Number one is Ann Arbor MI 
(WUOM) with 25.3%. 

(This is all the Fall 2006 rankings released on Feb. 16, 2007)  The 
article mentioned that ARB figures cannot be used by public stations 
because they pay a lower, negotiated fee for service.  Hmmmm :>)  
Maybe these negotiators can intervene in the current CRB royalty fees 
issue for webcasting and streaming music stations?  Haven't heard about 
the outrageous fee-for-play being decided that will wipe out Internet 
radio webcasting???  Take a look, get involved and respond to your 
politicians now, it has to be a fair and equitable, not a greedy rate.  
Read what is going on and sign on here:

http://www.savethestreams.org/    Thanks!