Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
April 5, 2005
Appreciation for Tom Church
Unanimously
Resolved, That the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting Expresses Its Deep Appreciation for the Life and Work of
Tom Church Audience Research Pioneer Founder, Radio Research Consortium Edward R. Murrow Award Recipient
The Board of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting recognizes the extraordinary contributions of Tom Church, who taught a generation of public radio managers to use audience research to advance their public service mission.
Tom Church transformed CPB's and public radio's approach to audience research by focusing on local markets where programming and listening decisions are made. His quiet yet persistent reminders to "think audience" not only defused public radio's opposition to the use of audience research, but made the entire public radio community more mindful of the audiences it serves. One measure of his influence is that the Radio Research Consortium, which he founded in 1981 as a 14-member consortium, now serves more than 600 public radio stations. Another is that public radio -- guided in large part by the audience-focused research he advocated -- has moved from the periphery to the center of American cultural and civic life.
The Board expresses its gratitude for Tom Church's dedication to public radio and the audiences it serves, and extends its deepest sympathy to the Church family.