You Are Old, Father William, the Walrus Said

With apologies to Lewis Carroll for conflating his poems, and thanks to alert reader Dorron Katzin, I’d like to call your attention to a new study by Walrus Research, demonstrating that those of us who like classical music on the radio are aging.  In fact, those who don’t like classical music on the radio are aging, too.  It reminds me of the announcers who say, “it’s 10 am here on KING-FM.”

The study, which looks at a snapshot of listeners’ ages over the ten year period from 1999 to 2009, concludes that

The oldest format is classical music, which has aged 7 years over the last 10 years. The median age is 65. That means half of the classical audience are not Boomers, rather they are Seniors on Medicare.

Uh-oh.  Send out the death panels! Maybe if they kill off Granny she’ll remember your station in her will.

Not only are our listeners aging, but horror of horrors, they’re unemployed!

Although 63 percent of the classical audience was employed in 1997, by 2009 employment was 47 percent. In fact, 46 percent of the classical audience is now generated by persons who are not employed and at least 60 years old.

Oh, no!  If they are unemployed, that means they must have time to listen to the radio now.  They also have their houses paid off, have finished putting their kids through college, and have  time to go to concerts, although that’s not the conclusion Walrus draws.  Instead,

The end of employment may have an impact on their willingness to contribute money to the station.

By the way, if 46% of our listeners are over 60 and unemployed (read “retired”), that means 54% are under 60 and employed.  Other statistics in the study include core (whether a listener turns first to that station), loyalty, and size of the audience.  In all three categories, classical stayed the same over ten years.  And yet, Walrus concluded that

Compared to NPR news stations, the classical audience is significantly less likely to be core.

What?! You mean we turn to news first, and then classical?  Quelle horreur!  Finally,

There has been no growth in the size of the classical audience, except as public radio has been able to purchase failing commercial classical stations. Accordingly, no one should be surprised as the median age for classical music stations will soon approach 70.

No growth, but also no decline.  I’m sorry, but this glass-half-empty slant makes me nuts.  I would say bravo to you classical warriors who have held on to your market share, have attracted high-end, educated listeners who can afford to retire, and who are living active, healthy, musical lives into their golden years. 

It’s the best news ever for classical radio.  As newspapers and record companies decline, and end users move to the web, even in the middle of an economic crisis classical radio listening HAS NOT DECLINED! We’re an absolutely stable format. You can bank on us.  It’s true we are getting older, but I’m willing to bet that music that has been around and evolved for 1000 years will probably survive a little longer, and something as fundamental to the human spirit as great music will find the ears of the younger generation as they mature.

Stations are struggling financially now, but so is everyone else.  And some stations have gotten a little out of balance chasing the elusive larger audience.  You have a small but stable audience and if you superserve them, they will support you.  Like any other relationship it takes nurturing, but it’s a pretty simple formula.  Says I.