Coleman Insights is partnering with Greater Public on a new national qualitative study examining the challenges and opportunities facing public radio underwriting as stations navigate an evolving sponsorship landscape.

The research initiative, titled “The State of Public Radio Underwriting,” will be introduced during next week’s Public Media Growth Conference, taking place July 8-10 at the Hilton Chicago. The study aims to gather insights from underwriting and sponsorship sales professionals representing stations of varying sizes, market types and organizational structures across the country.

Rather than relying on survey data alone, the project will feature one-on-one online interviews conducted after the conference. Coleman Insights plans to recruit participants at its Booth 22 during the event.

The interviews will examine a broad range of topics affecting underwriting departments, including revenue growth, advertiser expectations, increasing competitive pressures, audience changes, sales effectiveness, staffing and team structure, professional training, audience measurement and the expanding role of digital sponsorship opportunities.

Coleman Insights President Warren Kurtzman said the study is intended to help stations better understand the forces reshaping underwriting and identify practical strategies for future growth.

“The underwriting environment is evolving quickly, and stations need a clearer understanding of both the pressures and the possibilities in front of them,” Kurtzman said in a statement. “This study is intended to surface practical insights that can help public radio organizations strengthen underwriting performance and build sustainable revenue growth.”

The findings will be presented first in an exclusive webinar this fall, hosted jointly by Coleman Insights and Greater Public, before being shared more broadly with the public media community.

The announcement comes as public radio organizations continue seeking new revenue opportunities amid changing media consumption habits, increased competition for advertising and sponsorship dollars, and growing emphasis on digital platforms alongside traditional broadcast underwriting. The study is designed to provide station leaders with a qualitative look at how underwriting professionals are adapting their strategies in response to those changes.