Rural Programming Initiative

Summary for Audience Survey Findings, July 2001—July 2003 PDF format (opens in new window)
Survey Results, June-July 2003, PDF format (opens in new window)
Survey Results, February 2003, PDF format (opens in new window)
Survey Results, July 2002, PDF format (opens in new window)
Survey Results, February 2002, PDF format (opens in new window)
Survey Results, July-August 2001, PDF format (opens in new window)
Participating Stations
Allegheny Mountain Radio	Final Report	Report #2	Report #1
KBUT	Final Report	Report #2	Report #1
KCHO	Final Report	Report #2	Report #1
KDNK	Final Report	Report #2	Report #1
KGVA	Final Report	Report #1
KHSU	Final Report	Report #2	Report #1
KIDE	Final Report	Report #2	Report #1
KMUN	Final Report	Report #2	Report #1
KSER	Final Report	Report #2	Report #1
KUFM	Final Report	Report #2	Report #1
KVNF	Final Report	Report #2	Report #1
KZYX & Z	Final Report	Report #2	Report #1
North Country Public Radio	Final Report	Report #2	Report #1
WKMS	Final Report	Report #2	Report #1
WTIP	Final Report	Report #2	Report #1
WVUB	Final Report	Report #1
WXPR	Final Report	Report #2	Report #1

Funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, this three-year project (2001-2003) is designed to help rural public radio stations provide better audience service. What's drive time in a rural community? Are Saturday's more like Monday-Friday? Why do some commercial stations in rural areas target two or more audiences and change formats three times a day?

Because there is little reliable audience research for the stations participating in the project, NFCB commissioned A & A Research in Kalispell, Montana, to conduct four audience surveys for each station over three years. The first survey was conducted for 16 stations in July-August 2001 and the composite results can be found by clicking the "Survey Results" links. A 17th station was added to the project in the fall of 2001.

One of the things we learned almost immediately is that rural listening can be very seasonal. Many of the stations are located in areas where the population swells in the winter months and shrinks in the summer. Consequently, ten stations decided to conduct their second survey in February 2002, and the summary results can be seen by clicking the station names.

The participating stations will use this website to tell their stories:
°  What they learn from the research
°  What changes, if any, they decide to make because of the research
°  How they made the changes
°  The results of the changes
°  How they define and measure success