The Public Radio Program Directors Association gave its 2012 Don Otto Award to audience researcher Peter Dominowski, who co-founded PRPD in 1987. PRPD bestowed the award Sept. 13 in Las Vegas, where it observed its 25th anniversary as an organization. Dominowski is president of Market Trends Research, a market-research company based in Matheson, Colo.
Dominowski, a PRPD co-founder, was honored for career contributions that helped to improve public radio’s audience service. (Photo: Courtesy PRPD)
In presenting the award, Jeff Hansen, p.d. at Seattle’s KUOW, cited Dominowski’s many focus groups and research studies, and his work with the Morning Edition Grad School training sessions for stations and as a member of the Strategic Programming Partners consultancy.
“His work has improved the listening experience for millions of our audience members around the country,” Hansen said. “He’s always been there, teaching, pushing, questioning, guiding, cajoling and challenging us to be better.”
Named after the late Don Otto, an influential mentor to PRPD’s founders and a director of Eastern Public Radio, the Otto Award honors “public radio originals” for their contributions to improving the system through their work.
PRPD for the first time bestowed a special Presidents’ Award to the Radio Research Consortium and its president, Joanne Church. Founded in 1981, the RRC provides Arbitron data to public radio stations. It also assisted with the founding of PRPD.
“They encouraged us to do better by providing a new and exciting array of tools, and teaching anyone who was interested how to use them,” said former PRPD President Marcia Alvar in presenting the award.