RATINGS GROWTH AND SEPTEMBER’S PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

posted by Laura McKee

AZPM’s new programming initiatives continue to build audience. July television ratings indicate that our full day viewership for PBS 6 increased by 7% from last year, and grew 25% in primetime. The number one show during this rating period was “A Capitol Fourth” that aired on July 4th. Sunday night continues to be the top night with Masterpiece at 8:00 p.m. as the peak performer. Monday night’s Antiques Roadshow broadcast remains the number three program on PBS 6.1

The new ReadyTV channel continues to grow as well. ReadyTV ‘s audience reach increased 25% for the full day and by 200% in primetime. Viewership increased by 7% in full day and 125% in primetime.1

On the radio side, NPR 89.1 maintains its top rank among other news/talk stations in the Tucson market in the Spring Arbitron ratings report. NPR 89.1 also set a new record for cumulative audience in the region that includes Pima, Pinal, Cochise, and Santa Cruz counties. In its target 50+ demographic (as designated by the Strategic Plan), NPR 89.1’s Tucson metro listeners grew by 4.8% over the number for the previous Spring. Classical 90.5’s Tucson metro listeners increased by 5.7% during the same period.2

The Your Vote 2012 campaign continues with broad coverage of all local, state and regional political news. Tune in to Arizona Illustrated, Arizona Week, and AZ Illustrated Political Roundtable on PBS 6, listen to NPR 89.1, and visit online at azpm.org/yourvote for the latest candidate interviews, political forums, interactive district maps, and ballot initiatives.

I am sure you will find the Fall TV line-up on PBS 6 truly entertaining. The September membership drive on PBS 6, “That’s Entertainment,” includes special programs; “Les Misérables 25th Anniversary Concert at the O2”, “Tony Bennett’s Duets II,” “Big Band Vocalists,” “Great Performances at the Met: Wagner’s Ring Cycle,” and much more.

Your support each year helps AZPM provide the engaging, entertaining, and educational programs you have grown to love. September also brings new premieres and specials, including: Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood - Premieres on September 3rd and airs weekdays on PBS 6 at 10 a.m., and PBS Kids at 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. A new generation of preschool “neighbors” will get to experience the ‘Neighborhood of Make-Believe’ with Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, the first TV series inspired by the iconic, award-winning Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

“Broadway or Bust” - Premieres on Sunday, September 16th on PBS 6 at 6 p.m. PBS is bound for Broadway with a three-hour primetime documentary series that tracks the real life stories of America’s top high school musical performers, vying in the ultimate competition to find the nation’s best young theater stars.

MASTERPIECE Mystery! “Wallender III” – Also premiering on Sundays in September on PBS 6, are three gripping new episodes of Wallender. Kenneth Branagh returns to his Emmy-nominated role as the soul-searching Swedish detective created by best-selling novelist Henning Mankell. Episodes one and two, “An Event in Autumn” and “The Dogs of Riga” debut on Sunday, the 16th at 8 and 9 p.m. The third episode, “Before the Frost,” airs at 8 p.m. on Sunday the 23rd.

American Experience: “Death & The Civil War” – From the acclaimed filmmaker Ric Burns, this special two-hour documentary airs on Tuesday the 18th at 8 p.m., and charts the political and social changes wrought by the pervasive fear of death during the Civil War.

Doc Martin – The Southern Arizona premiere of the first season of this BBC hit series starts Thursdays, September 20th at 9 p.m. on PBS 6. This British TV comedy drama stars Martin Clunes as Dr. Martin Ellingham, whose truculence and tactless manner causes mayhem in a small Cornish community.

Your support is our largest source of funding, and it’s an investment that benefits everyone in the community. Thank you sincerely for your commitment to Arizona Public Media.

Jack Gibson

1. Nielsen Station Index and TRAC Media Services 2. Arbitron, Inc. from Radio Research Consortium, Inc., Spring 2011, Spring 2012, TSA Cume, Metro AQH share, 12+, 50+.

RATINGS, NEW STAFF AND JULIA CHILD TURNS 100!

posted by Laura McKee

The healthy rainfall this monsoon season has been a blessing for our long drought. Hopefully the rains continue along with the anticipated start of the new fall semester here on the UA campus. AZPM looks forward to welcoming a new group of student crew, interns, and volunteers that help us across the organization each semester.

Recent ratings information was released for television and radio. In the May Nielsen sweeps, PBS 6 increased its full day reach by 4% from the same period last year. Top rated programs in May include MASTERPIECE Mystery! Sherlock on Sundays at 8 p.m., Antiques Roadshow on Mondays at 8 p.m. and Men of Mystery! on Thursdays at 8 p.m. PBS Kids viewership grew 27% in full day viewership and 242% in primetime compared to last May.

Our NPR radio service maintains its top rank among other news/talk stations in the Tucson market. NPR 89.1 set a new record for cumulative audience in Pima, Pinal, Cochise, and Santa Cruz counties. The cumulative audience for listeners age 12+ was 109,400, eclipsing the previous high of 108,700 in the Fall of 2009. For listeners age 50+, NPR 89.1 increased 5% and Classical 90.5 increased 5.7% from Spring 2011.

You’ve been hearing a new voice mornings on NPR 89.1. John Weaver joined the radio team as the new morning host and newscaster just a few weeks ago. John has an extensive career in both commercial and public radio throughout the Midwest, having most recently spent more than seven years at Minnesota Public Radio. Also new to the AZPM team is Enrique Aldana who joined us as our new Associate Director of Development. Enrique, a graduate of UA’s Eller College of Management, comes to AZPM from Tucson Newspapers, Inc. where he served as Advertising Sales Manager since 2004.

This month, ReadyTV celebrates what would have been Julia Childs’ 100th birthday (August 15th) all month long with a marathon of your favorite Julia shows including; In Julia’s Kitchen, French Chef Classics, Julia Child Memories, Cooking with Master Chefs and more.

AZPM’s Your Vote 2012 election coverage continues with a series of special broadcast forums. In anticipation of the upcoming Primary Election on August 28th, AZPM hosted the first of these forums on July 23rd with the CD2 Republican Primary Forum on a special edition of Arizona Illustrated, simulcast on NPR 89.1 and online. On August 13th PBS 6 will host the CD2 Democratic Primary Forum and the CD2 Democratic Primary Forum on August 20th. Both programs are special editions of Arizona Illustrated at 6:30 p.m. More candidate forums and special debates will be announced during the weeks ahead. Check your weekly Preview newsletter for dates and times. AZPM’s Your Vote 2012 is your source for thorough, un-biased, expert analysis across radio, TV, and online at azpm.org/your vote. The website has candidate interviews, forums, interactive maps, proposition overviews and more.

I am pleased to announce that the PBS drama series MASTERPIECE, has been honored by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences with 37 nominations for the 2012 Primetime Emmy® Awards – the highest number of nominations the series has received in its history. MASTERPIECE Classic: Downton Abbey received 16 nominations and MASTERPIECE Mystery! Sherlock received 13 nominations. Other nominees include Great Expectations, Page Eight, and The Song of Lunch.

August 18th starts the first TV membership drive of the new fiscal year. Program highlights include one of the best live Frank Sinatra concerts of all time, Frank Sinatra: Concert for the Americas filmed in the Dominican Republic in 1982. This two-hour special airs on Monday, August 20th at 8 pm on PBS6. Other program highlights include The Civil War, Ken Burns’ nine-episode epic documentary starting July 31st at 9 p.m., and The Orangutan Diaries, a five-part BBC’s nature documentary that follows the fragile lives of Bornean Orangutans on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. starting August 8th. Wacky Americana series continues Thursdays at 8 p.m. through the month with Lords of the Gourds, Ferrets: the Pursuit of Excellence, and Cherry Picking Apple Blossom Time. Check program listings here.

I hope you will keep in mind that your pledges of financial support help AZPM to provide you with the award-winning, wide variety of programming that you have grown to expect. Thank you for your viewership, listenership and continued support.

Jack Gibson