The Public Radio Differences
The chart below outlines the key differences between public radio and commercial radio.
| Features & Benefits | Public Radio | Commercial Radio |
|---|---|---|
| Clutter | Virtually none—most stations air approximately 1 – 2 minutes of underwriting credits per hour. | Nationally reported to range from 16 to 26 non-programming minutes per hour with individual breaks as long as eight minutes of uninterrupted commercials.* *Clear Channel is imposing a company-wide ceiling on the number of total minutes that can be aired per hour - 12 minutes. It is also limiting commercial breaks to four minutes and six commercial units, and reducing promotional time to two minutes per hour. |
| Station Ownership | Independent local stations that are members of a national organization. | Private/corporate owned stations and affiliated stations. |
| Tax Status | Non profit. | For profit. |
| Revenue | Revenue from individual members, corporations, foundations, and government sources. | Revenue from advertising. |
| Sales Model | In raising underwriting funds, most public radio stations employ sales teams. Smaller in number than their commercial counterparts, they are selling underwriting rather than commercials. Underwriting is a means of identifying a business to recognize its financial support of a specific program or of the station. | Large local and national sales force. Sold based on ratings. |
| Measures of Success | Impact and Awards. | Ratings and Revenue. |
| Programs | Programmed at the local level, with national program offerings as well as local news and other programs. | Varies-- Some local autonomy but more and more conglomerates have centralized programming. |