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Managing Change…. And living to tell the tale

Managing Change…. And living to tell the tale. Joan Siefert Rose General Manager North Carolina Public Radio - WUNC. The Question: Is WUNC As Good As It Can Be?. Station was successful Many listeners, many contributors Stable and dependable. But There Were Signs of Trouble….

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Managing Change…. And living to tell the tale

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  1. Managing Change….And living to tell the tale Joan Siefert Rose General Manager North Carolina Public Radio - WUNC

  2. The Question: Is WUNC As Good As It Can Be? • Station was successful • Many listeners, many contributors • Stable and dependable

  3. But There Were Signs of Trouble… • Audience had not been growing • Costs of fundraising were starting to increase • Station was not attracting the most talented broadcasters

  4. Time to Make a Choice • Should WUNC commit to its “dual format” – news and information during mornings and afternoon, classical music middays • Or should WUNC change format to include more NPR news/talk programming middays, nights and weekends?

  5. Reasons to Stay the Course • Few complaints from long-time listeners • Classical music “deserves” a place on the radio • Less expensive • Any big change is likely to cause an uproar

  6. Reasons to Change • Most popular WUNC shows are news and information • Radio increasingly becoming a “niche” market • Classical music available on 89.7 FM - WCPE

  7. Step One: Gather Information • Review of institutional documents • Strategic planning meeting with senior management staff • Analysis of marketplace • Focus group research

  8. The Audience Speaks • WUNC is valued primarily as the flagship station in the market for NPR programs, including weekend entertainment as well as daily news • Listeners know there are other NPR programs available in other markets not available here • Lots of enthusiasm for “Back Porch Music”

  9. However… • Little enthusiasm for WUNC’s classical music programming – not personally important to most listeners • WCPE seen as the classical music station in the market • WUNC would benefit if listeners recognized a real gain in more NPR programs and local news, vs. an abstract loss of choice in classical music

  10. Making The Case • To supervisor • To staff • To University leadership • To donors • To corporate supporters • To hostile groups • To media

  11. The Best Laid Plans • Set the date – Labor Day 2001 • Develop key talking points • Develop communications strategy • Develop internal logistics plan • Hope for the best!

  12. Key Issues for Staff • “Will I still have a job?” • What will this change mean for me, personally? • What will be the same? What will be different? • What does this mean to everyone else here?

  13. Key Issues for University • How will this help UNC with community outreach? • What are the potential short-term consequences? • What’s the long-term benefit? • Are you sure this is the right thing to do?

  14. Key Issues for Donors and Corporate Supporters • For individual donors, it all depended on the personal importance of the programming • For corporate supporters, it represented an opportunity to attract a larger audience

  15. Key Concerns About Hostile Groups • When was it appropriate to notify in advance of the change? • Would there be an organized campaign against WUNC? • Would our key supporters withstand the pressure?

  16. Key Concerns About Media Coverage • How long could we keep our news quiet? • How would we break the story? • What should the key message points be? • When should we have our media kits ready?

  17. Taking The Plunge • Story broke two weeks prior to the format change • Many were happy about the news… • But the ones who were unhappy were more likely to speak up

  18. Fate Intervenes • Eight days after the format change, 9/11 occurs • NPR goes to 24-hour all-news coverage • Listeners tune to WUNC in record numbers • Phone calls and letters complaining about the format change drop sharply

  19. Three Years Later • Station’s audience has grown 60% • Annual fundraising has increased from $3 million to $5.5 million • Staff has expanded from 30 to 50 people • Programming staff performing at much higher level • Culture has changed

  20. If We Had To Do It All Over… • Format change probably should have taken place sooner • Station could have engaged volunteer leadership more effectively • Station management could have put better tools in place to measure goals and outcomes • Highly personal staff communication system might have been sustained

  21. But, After All… • It was worth taking the risk!

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