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KPLU reaches top achievements
February 16, 2007
KPLU-FM reached two milestones in recent months: the station was inducted in the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame and its audience listening ratings were the highest in the history of the station.
The station was inducted into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame at the Golden Ear Awards on Jan. 29. The awards ceremony recognizes excellence and innovation in the local jazz community.
KPLU’s induction was the first time an entity – not a person or ensemble – was selected for such a distinction. In past years, KPLU’s on-air personalities Ken Wiley and Jim Wilke have received the honor, said Joey Cohn, KPLU program director.
Being inducted into the Hall of Fame recognizes the importance of the KPLU to the jazz community, Cohn said. When he joined the station nearly 20 years ago, the audience hovered at around 17,000 people but is now closer to 360,000, he said.
“KPLU has been able to grow,” Cohn said. “The audience has grown by over 500 percent. For me, that’s exciting because thousands more people are now able to listen to jazz.”
The station’s growth is reflected in its fall Arbitron ratings, which reported KPLU programming reached a cumulative audience of 356,000 weekly listeners. It’s a new record for the station. The previous ratings sat at about 350,000 weekly listeners.
Arbitron is a radio audience research company. It collects listener data about radio audiences, and the information is similar to that collected by Nielsen Media Research about television audiences.
Cohn credits the improved ratings to KPLU’s on-air personalities and the high interest in jazz and blues in Western Washington. He added that KPLU’s programming has been able to bring jazz to the masses. People respond to music on an emotional level, and KPLU works to give listeners a positive emotional experience, Cohn said.
“Jazz doesn’t have to be music enjoyed by a select few,” he said. “The music has the power and appeal to reach a much greater number of people. Once they hear the way we program it, I think they enjoy what they hear.”
Jazz is a unique form of music because unlike other genres, it can convey a range of emotions, from joy and energy to soulfulness and calm. KPLU programming selects songs based on the time of day and the emotion or moods that go along with it, he explained.
“Jazz can reach people in a lot of different ways,” Cohn said.
In addition to radio programming, KPLU hosts a number of jazz events around the region. The station has teamed up with the Seattle Theatre Group to present “Words & Music” on March 30 at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle.
Beginning at 8 p.m., the evening features Oscar and Grammy award-winner Randy Newman speaking with Bob Edwards, host of “Bob Edwards Weekend” on Public Radio International, about his life and music. Newman will also play a few songs from his vast repertoire spanning a 40-year career. For more information, visit www.kplu.org/edwards_newman.html.
KPLU is a community service of PLU. The station is listener-supported and provides National Public Radio news, jazz and blues to western Washington and British Columbia. To learn more, or to listen to programming online, visit www.kplu.org.
KPLU’s induction was the first time an entity – not a person or ensemble – was selected for such a distinction. In past years, KPLU’s on-air personalities Ken Wiley and Jim Wilke have received the honor, said Joey Cohn, KPLU program director.
Being inducted into the Hall of Fame recognizes the importance of the KPLU to the jazz community, Cohn said. When he joined the station nearly 20 years ago, the audience hovered at around 17,000 people but is now closer to 360,000, he said.
“KPLU has been able to grow,” Cohn said. “The audience has grown by over 500 percent. For me, that’s exciting because thousands more people are now able to listen to jazz.”
The station’s growth is reflected in its fall Arbitron ratings, which reported KPLU programming reached a cumulative audience of 356,000 weekly listeners. It’s a new record for the station. The previous ratings sat at about 350,000 weekly listeners.
Arbitron is a radio audience research company. It collects listener data about radio audiences, and the information is similar to that collected by Nielsen Media Research about television audiences.
Cohn credits the improved ratings to KPLU’s on-air personalities and the high interest in jazz and blues in Western Washington. He added that KPLU’s programming has been able to bring jazz to the masses. People respond to music on an emotional level, and KPLU works to give listeners a positive emotional experience, Cohn said.
“Jazz doesn’t have to be music enjoyed by a select few,” he said. “The music has the power and appeal to reach a much greater number of people. Once they hear the way we program it, I think they enjoy what they hear.”
Jazz is a unique form of music because unlike other genres, it can convey a range of emotions, from joy and energy to soulfulness and calm. KPLU programming selects songs based on the time of day and the emotion or moods that go along with it, he explained.
“Jazz can reach people in a lot of different ways,” Cohn said.
In addition to radio programming, KPLU hosts a number of jazz events around the region. The station has teamed up with the Seattle Theatre Group to present “Words & Music” on March 30 at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle.
Beginning at 8 p.m., the evening features Oscar and Grammy award-winner Randy Newman speaking with Bob Edwards, host of “Bob Edwards Weekend” on Public Radio International, about his life and music. Newman will also play a few songs from his vast repertoire spanning a 40-year career. For more information, visit www.kplu.org/edwards_newman.html.
KPLU is a community service of PLU. The station is listener-supported and provides National Public Radio news, jazz and blues to western Washington and British Columbia. To learn more, or to listen to programming online, visit www.kplu.org.