Report: NPR Stations Top Radio News Source In 13-Markets

An analysis of Fall 2016 Nielsen ratings for more than three-dozen full-time NPR News/Talk stations reveals that in many markets the NPR station has a greater AQH share that all local commercial news and talk stations.

A new chart from Spark News shows 25 News/Talk stations that had a 3.0% AQH share or greater in the Fall 2018 ratings. Thirteen of the 25 (52%) performed better than all commercial News/Talk stations in the market.

NPR News/Talk stations were number one in well-known NPR-friendly places like Burlington, Ann Arbor and Eugene.  But NPR News/Talk stations beat all commercial news and talk stations in Anchorage, Roanoke and Grand Rapids.

NPR News/Talk stations also scored the top spot in multiple metro areas. KCLU had the highest AQH share in Oxnard-Ventura and Santa Barbara. Michigan Radio, shown on the chart as WUOM, was the number one News/Talk station in Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor.

Michigan Radio was also the top performer in the number of estimated weekly listeners in Fall 2018, followed Vermont Public Radio News, Maine Public’s news channel and WAMC in Albany.

Overall more stations (64%) had a declining number of weekly listeners in Fall 2016 than Fall 2018. Ten stations (36%) had more estimated weekly listeners in Fall 2018 then they did in Fall 2016.