KDFC's longtime evening host, Rik Malone, decided to cut back and be part-time (he'll continue to host their SF Symphony 'casts), and his replacement is a woman named Lara Downes. This means that, except for overnites, all their Mon-Fri hosts are women. And it got me wondering what the listener demos are for classical radio -- do they skew heavily female?
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KDFC and classical demographics
- Thread starter RadioJunkieMike
- Start date
There are a lot of studies about classical radio audience, but most of them focus on how stable the audience is. Here's one study that mentions male-female demos, and it says they're about the same:
Don’t know if it’s still the case, but classical stations used to require their hosts to have extensive knowledge of the music. Classical isn’t a format just anybody with broadcast experience can do well. The listeners will be able to tell, and they’ll let you know about it. A handful of classical stations have tried to hire jocks from other formats, and it has rarely gone well. My suspicion is that Lara Downes had the knowledge while the other applicants didn't.
I will say, however, that one exception to the extensive knowledge requirement would’ve seemed to have been the Sony/Warner satellite delivered classical format from the 90’s. When I moved to the KC area in ‘97, KXTR 96.5 had been recently sold by Ingram to Heritage Media, which immediately began cutting costs. It replaced most of its local hosts with the SW network's programming, and the listener complaints went through the roof. It played shortened versions of the pieces, and the announcers couldn’t properly pronounce some of the composers' names. It eventually switched over to the Beethoven Network programming, which, I seem to remember, originated out of WFMT in Chicago.
I will say, however, that one exception to the extensive knowledge requirement would’ve seemed to have been the Sony/Warner satellite delivered classical format from the 90’s. When I moved to the KC area in ‘97, KXTR 96.5 had been recently sold by Ingram to Heritage Media, which immediately began cutting costs. It replaced most of its local hosts with the SW network's programming, and the listener complaints went through the roof. It played shortened versions of the pieces, and the announcers couldn’t properly pronounce some of the composers' names. It eventually switched over to the Beethoven Network programming, which, I seem to remember, originated out of WFMT in Chicago.
Here's more info on Lara Downes:
Lara Downes, NPR Music And KUSC/KDFC Announce Season 2 of AMPLIFY With Lara Downes
The video interview series returns with new illuminating conversations with leading Black musicians and cultural leaders.
www.npr.org
I think an almost all female line up is not completely unusual. KTWV Los Angeles, when it was a Smooth AC station, had a line up of four women a few years ago, Pat Prescott in AM, Talaya (Tagliaros) in middays, Deborah Howell in PM and Keri Tombasian in evenings. I think several men did overnights, back when 94.7 The Wave had overnight DJs. So it wasn't entirely an all-female line up.
While Classical probably leans a bit more female, I wouldn't say that management chooses women DJs for this reason.
While Classical probably leans a bit more female, I wouldn't say that management chooses women DJs for this reason.
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