What’s behind the changes at “Marketplace”

Meg James of the Los Angeles Times examines the changes at public radio business news show “Marketplace.”

James writes, “Marketplace, which is produced in downtown Los Angeles by American Public Media, is the most popular business program broadcast in the U.S., with an average of 14.6 million listeners a week. In the last year, the 28-year-old program has seen its audience grow 16% — benefiting from Americans’ increased appetite for news.

“Hoping to capitalize on its success, Marketplace has launched an ambitious plan to remain a vital source for economic information as consumers’ listening habits change, putting a strain the traditional broadcast model.

“‘We cannot rest on the idea that listeners are always going to come to us,’ Deborah Clark, senior vice president and general manager of Marketplace’s portfolio of programs, said in a recent interview. ‘They’ve been a captive audience. We’re on the radio and they know how to find us there — but now people are not just looking toward the radio for the content.’

“Consumers have more choices, including in their cars. New vehicles are equipped with screens and technology that enable drivers to use voice-activated Internet-connected devices — opening the floodgates of content available to commuters who spend hours in their cars and raising the level of competition for Marketplace.”

Read more here.