The View From Outside:
PBS’s Pledge Audience
Presented at Trac Media Service’s 2013 Development Workshop
January 15, 2013
Steve McGowan
Monocacy Media Partners
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I can name that tune in __ seconds…
#1
“Money (That’s What I Want)”
The Beatles
#2
“Money, Money, Money”
#3
“You Never Give Me Your Money”
The Beatles
#4
“Money”
ABBA
Pink Floyd
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After Years of Living on the “Dark Side”
I am Getting Back Up to Speed
• Station Pledging—how
much, how often
• Pledge audiences
• Ratings patterns
• Demographic
composition
• Donor motivations
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The Big Pledge Titles-1986
• Anne of Green Gables
• A 60s Folk/Rock Reunion
• Peter, Paul & Mary 25th
Anniversary
• Spencer Tracy Legacy
• Nat Geo “Jerusalem”
• W.C. Fields Straight Up
• Benny Goodman: Let’s Dance
• Gala of Stars
•
Plus over 13 hours of
regular series
The Big Pledge Titles-1987
The Arlo Guthrie Show
Nat Geo “Grizzlies”
GP “Jimmy Stewart: Wonderful Life”
Country Music Legends
Tom Peters: Power of Excellence
Minnelli on Minnelli
Celebrating a Jazz Master
(Thelonious Monk)
• Lawrence Welk: TV’s Music Man
• Mancini & Friends
• A Musical Toast: Stars Shine on PTV
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Plus over 15 hours of
regular series
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No. of Stations Pledging Each Period
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
5
March
Aug
Dec
June
Average Days Per Pledging Station
20.0
18.0
16.0
14.0
12.0
10.0
8.0
6
March
Aug
Dec
June
Who Pledges?
• More women than men
• Older people pledge more than younger people
(65+ and 50-64 year olds)
• College educated pledge more often
• Caucasians pledge most
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Annual PBS Prime Time Ratings:
Pledge and Non-Pledge
3.50
3.00
2.50
Non-pledge ratings have averaged 20% more
than Pledge months the past five years, hitting a
record gap (28%) last season.
2.00
1.50
1.00
Note: June was moved to the Pledge average beginning 2005-06
0.50
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Non-Pledge Avg
Pledge Avg
PBS Weekly Prime Ratings
PBS Weekly Prime Ratings – 2011-12 Season + 4Q12
P40-49
P50-64
P65+
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
Week of 2012 Season
13
11
9
7
5
3
1
51
Pledge
49
47
45
43
Pledge
41
39
37
35
33
31
29
Pledge
27
25
23
21
19
17
Pledge
15
13
9
7
5
3
1
11
Pledge
0.0
Week of 2013 Season
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Who Watched Most Last February*?
Household Characteristic
AA%
Broadcast only homes
2.8
Not in Labor Force
2.6
Head of Home 4+ Yrs of College
2.0
Household Income $20-39K
1.8
HH Income $40-59K and $100K+
1.7
PBS Average
PBS “Upscale” +
1.6
+NILF,
Owns Home, HOH 4+ Yrs College
*3 weeks prior to pledge (Feb 12-March 3, 2012)
4.1%
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How Did Their Viewing Change During Pledge?*
Household Characteristic
AA% Chng
Household income $100K+
-52%
Head of Home 4+ Years College
-47%
HH Income $40-59K
-42%
Not in Labor Force
-38%
PBS Average
-38%
Household Income $20-39K
-32%
Broadcast only homes
-23%
PBS “Upscale” +
-47%
*March 4-24, 2012
+NILF,
Owns Home, HOH 4+ Yrs College
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Households Transition to Pledge
• In both 2010 and 2011, the March pledge period reached nearly
the same number of households as the month prior.
• In 2012 reach did drop, falling from 43MM households to 38.7
translating into a smaller percentage of the pre-pledge audience
Household Audience Duplication
March 2010
March 2011
Pledge
Pre-Pledge
41.6MM
Pledge
Pre-Pledge
76%
March 2012
69%
41.4MM
43.7MM
Pledge
Pre-Pledge
65%
43.3MM
Source: Nielsen NPower Reach & Frequency Duplication Report, 6-min qualifier, Feb/Mar 2010
43.0MM
38.7MM
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Minutes Per Week (Sun-Thu only)
Average Daily Minutes decline for all three key
age segments during pledge
Average Daily Sun-Thu Primetime Mins/Persons
Pre/Pledge/Post March 2012
80
Pledge
70
60
50
40
30
Persons 40-49
20
Persons 50-64
10
0
Persons 65-99
13
1/30
2/6
2/13
2/20
2/27
3/5
3/12
3/19
Week of…
3/26
4/2
4/9
4/16
4/23
March 2012 Pledge Specials
Program
Station Count
HH Rating
GPER Phantom of the Opera
382
1.1
Big Band Vocalists
410
1.1
PBS March Prime Average
1.1
Dr. Wayne Dyer Wishes
492
0.9
Superstars 70’s Soul
281
0.8
Il Volo Takes Flight
286
0.8
Peter Paul & Mary
329
0.7
GPER Tony Bennett
205
0.5
Oscar & Hammerstein II
242
0.5
Easy Yoga Easing Pain
424
0.5
Yanni Live El Morro
208
0.4
Horses Of The West
253
0.3
Under The Streetlamp
173
0.3
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Summary
• Weekly and monthly ratings during Pledge
periods have eroded at a greater rate than
non-pledge months
• As seen previously, Pledge does not bring in a
different audience profile. In fact, much of the
pre-pledge audience carries over to the
ensuing pledge drive
• Fall-off is occurring most among Nielsen’s
standard upscale and “PBS Upscale” demos
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