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WAMU 2020
Stronger for the Future
A message from J.J. Yore | General Manager
I would like to share an exciting process we are
undertaking to plan for our future and to create a strong
WAMU in 2020 and beyond. We want to connect with
you on the platform of your choice, to report on the
local, national and global news of the day and to reflect
our region’s unique needs.
WAMU has experienced unprecedented growth over
the last 10 years. We’ve attracted thousands of new
listeners, making ours one of the largest public radio
audiences in the country* and the region’s most listened
to radio station for most of the past three years.*
Growth 2004 - 2014
37%
81 %
37%
118%
increase in listeners*
increase in DRS listeners**
increase in members
increase in audience
contributions
We created exceptional news coverage like Kavitha
Cardoza’s education reporting, Patrick Madden’s
investigative journalism and live mayoral debates.
All of this has been made possible thanks to the
support of our members and corporate sponsors.
After a decade of unprecedented growth, we need to reflect on what we’ve accomplished.
Most of our changes have been positive, but our sound and style have become too broad.
We need to evaluate what’s gone well and what hasn’t. I believe we will be more valuable
to our region if we focus on our core services.
As the new general manger, I am committed to strengthening WAMU. There is a revolution
occurring in the media industry, and every media organization needs to continually
review and reassess its direction.
As we look ahead to 2020, we want to be your media organization and cultural institution
for civic dialogue, informing and empowering our audiences to make important choices
that will shape the region’s future. Programs such as The Kojo Nnamdi Show and The
Diane Rehm Show accomplish this regionally and nationally. We want to build on this
foundation and improve our local coverage.
To better serve our audiences, WAMU’s leadership team is embarking on a journey to
improve our sound and style, and to develop a financial plan that allows us to focus
investments on the best content and improve our delivery. We are committed to WAMU’s
role as the region’s most trusted source for local, national and international news.
*Washington, DC Metro, Weekly Cume, P12+, Mon-Sun 6am-Mid, Spring 2004, copyright Arbitron &
Washington, DC Metro, Weekly Cume, P6+, Mon-Sun 6a-Mid, Spring 2014, copyright Nielsen Audio
**Audience data, Weekly Cume, P12+, copyright Spring 2004 Arbitron, Inc &
Audience data, Weekly Cume, P12+, copyright Spring 2014 Nielsen Audio
WAMU 2020
Stronger for the Future
Focus for the future.
We have the privilege to be part of many people’s lives in the Washington, D.C. region,
and the responsibility to be a trusted source for news, information and cultural shows.
During 2015, we will create a new content and platform strategy that will
| Focus on our core services
| Ensure we continue to be the audio and web platform for the best coverage
| Increase and improve coverage dedicated to our region
| Identify areas of growth based on what our audiences value, and
| Align our revenues with our most ambitious projects.
This will protect and maintain the journalism and public affairs programming the Washington,
D.C. region looks to WAMU to provide. And we want our listeners and community members
to inform us about what is most valuable to you.
With support and encouragement from American University for the specific purpose of
developing a long-term strategy, we are commissioning a strategic consulting firm to
facilitate the process, ensuring it is objective and unbiased. The first quarter of 2015 will
focus on research. Then we will evaluate our content and platforms to determine changes
that will enhance our value.
Funding our core strengths.
WAMU Revenue and Expense
Dollars, shown in millions
$24
$22
$20
$18
$16
$14
$12
FY10
FY11
Fiscal Year
FY12
FY13
FY14
FY15
Expense
FY16
FY17
Revenue
Over 90% of our revenue
comes from audience
members who donate,
corporate underwriters
and private foundations.
We value this trust in our
organization and want to
ensure we are the best
financial stewards possible
with our community’s
investments.
In recent years, WAMU’s revenue growth has slowed while our expenses have increased.
Like any business, we must grow and diversify our revenue. As a nonprofit, revenue is
reinvested in our services as well as reserves to protect against unforeseeable downturns and to seize new opportunities as they arise.
We also know that new technology is a disrupter in the media landscape. Like other
media organizations, some of the technologies we invested in have been outpaced by
other, more rapidly developing ones, such as mobile devices.
I and the WAMU leadership team have created a balanced budget for the two next fiscal
years. We have a plan to grow our revenue streams.
We also have identified several business areas where we can be more efficient.
WAMU 2020
Stronger for the Future
Listeners will hear the following changes in the coming months:
88.3 Ocean City/Delaware
88.3 Listeners
Listeners, shown in thousands
With 17,500 weekly listeners,* 88.3
ranks 14th in that market. To date, it has
not been financially sustainable. While
we want to continue to serve this region,
we need to reduce our expenses We are
eliminating our weekly show, Coastal
Connection, and exploring other ways
to reduce costs.
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Intersection HD 3
HD Listeners
Listeners, shown in thousands
HD radio has been
outpaced by digital
platforms . A s a
result, Intersection
reaches only 1,800
listeners a week.**
We will eliminate
this station in 2015.
25
20
15
10
5
0
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
WAMU’s Bluegrass Country 105.5
We are refining the schedule to provide a more consistent format and sound, reflecting
both a national and local "sense of place." We will replace four local shows with syndicated
shows, bringing more consistency to the bluegrass genre. This will also help us better
manage our expenses. For more information, please visit bluegrasscountry.org/2020.
Thank you for your interest in and support of WAMU. We will post updates as we progress
with our journey. Please continue to follow our progress.
To share your thoughts, send an email to [email protected].
*Salisbury Ocean City Metro, Weekly Cume, P12+, Mon-Sun 6a-Mid,
Spring 2014 Survey, copyright Nielsen Audio
**National Regional Database Report, Radio Research Consortium, USA Total,
Weekly Cume, P12+, Spring 2009-Spring 2014, Copyright Nielsen Audio