The following appeared in a memorandum from the manager of WWAC radio station.” WWAC must change from its current rock-music format because the number of listeners has been declining, even though the population in our listening area has been growing. The population growth has resulted mainly from people moving to our area after their retirement, and we must make listeners of these new residents. But they seem to have limited interest in music: several local stores selling recorded music have recently closed. Therefore, just changing to another kind of music is not going to increase our audience. Instead, we should adopt a news-and-talk format, a form of radio that is increasingly popular in our area.”

The following appeared in a memorandum from the manager of WWAC radio station.

“WWAC must change from its current rock-music format because the number of listeners has been declining, even though the population in our listening area has been growing. The population growth has resulted mainly from people moving to our area after their retirement, and we must make listeners of these new residents. But they seem to have limited interest in music: several local stores selling recorded music have recently closed. Therefore, just changing to another kind of music is not going to increase our audience. Instead, we should adopt a news-and-talk format, a form of radio that is increasingly popular in our area.”

Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered in order to decide whether the recommendation and the argument on which it is based are reasonable. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.

In this memorandum, the manager appears to be making two arguments. The first states that the number of listeners to WWAC has declined, and that in order to remain competitive, they must change to another music format in order to attract more listeners. The second states that people moving to the area after retirement have limited interest in music, and therefore, WWAC should use their spare time to listen to news and not music. I cannot agree with either argument, nor would I advise changing format at this time.

WAAC is a radio station that is owned by the radio station corporation and broadcasts at 91.3 FM to an area whose population has steadily grown over the last ten years. Despite this growth, the number of listeners has been declining, and the manager believes that changing format will draw in more listeners. He reasons that since people retiring from the metro area have moved to the listening area after retirement, these individuals will not be interested in rock music and therefore, WWAC should switch to a news and information format. However, this reasoning is flawed. There are two reasons why this recommendation will not draw in more listeners.

First, the demographic profile of WWAC’s listeners has not changed greatly over the last ten years. The station’s average listener is in his forties and is married with children. Additionally, the area’s population has been growing, and these listeners have likely moved to the same area in which they currently reside. Therefore, it is unlikely that the listening area has changed so much that people moving to it after retirement no longer listen to WWAC.

Second, the manager’s assumption that people moving to the area after retirement have limited interest in music is incorrect. People who are retired are, by definition, interested in learning about their interests, and presumably, rock music is one interest that appeals to many individuals. If the manager wants to attract listeners from outside the area, he should know that people moving to the area after retirement are generally interested in learning about their new community, and there is no reason that they would not enjoy hearing about area news, weather, and sports. Therefore, changing format at this time is not likely to increase the number of listeners.

WAAC’s manager appears to be making two arguments. The first states that the number of listeners to WWAC has declined, and that in order to remain competitive, they must change to another music format in order to attract more listeners. The second states that people moving to the area after retirement have limited interest in music, and therefore, WWAC should use their spare time to listen to news and not music. I cannot agree with either argument, nor would I advise changing format at this time.