Mapping the Media Arts Field, NAMAC’s major survey of the media arts sector, officially closed on June 1, 2010.  Developed with the Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology at Iowa State University, NAMAC enlisted five intermediary organizations–Alliance of Artists Communities, Alliance for Community Media (ACM), Independent Media Arts Preservation (IMAP), National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA), and National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB)–to distribute 1170 surveys electronically.  We received 431 completed surveys, a completion rate of 37%.  Responses came from organizations in 46 states, 7 Native Sovereign Nations, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Preliminary Findings

The majority of respondents, 62%, operate as nonprofit organizations; 17% are government agencies; and 13% are programs within another organization. The remaining 8% of organizations include sponsored projects, incorporated, but not as a nonprofit, university/college programs and school districts. Though most organizations provide multiple services, when asked their primarily organization description, 45% defined themselves as broadcasters/cablecasters (which also included webcasters); 10% described themselves as production facilities; 9% as media education; 6% as distributors; 6% multi-disciplinary; and 5% as membership organizations. The remaining 19% included visual arts organizations, university-based programs, preserves/archives, artists’ residencies, and funders.

Primary media type created at respondents’ organizations included 36% television; 18% video; 12% radio; 9% film; 8% multi-media; and 5% web. Among the remaining 12%, media created at their organizations included new media, digital arts, visual arts, sound/audio, and photography. Not surprisingly, 4% reported that there were multiple types or no primary type of media created at their organization.

Generation transition is occurring within this sector’s staffs. Gen-Xers make up 39% of staffs followed by Boomers at 34%; Millennials at 23%; Founders (over 65) at 3%; and Youth (under 18) at 1%. Staff characteristics included an almost equal gender split with 50% men; 46% women; 3% unknown; and 1% transgender. Race/Ethnicity of staffs showed 7% to be African American, 4% Asian American/Pacific Islander, 67% Caucasian, 7% Latino/Hispanic, 2% Native American, and 2% mixed race. The remaining 9% was unknown.

Annual operating budgets showed an almost even spread among categories; however the greatest percentage, 29%, have annual operating budgets between $250K and $500K. This was followed by 17% - $500K - $1MM; 13% - $1MM - $5MM; 11% under $50K; 10% - $150K - $250K; 9% - $50K - $100K; 8% - $100K - $150K; and 3% - $5MM or more. Government support is the largest revenue stream for these organizations registering at 37% of annual revenue. This is followed by earned income at 17%; business/industry support tied with foundation support at 10% each; private individuals 9%; franchise fees 7%, interest at 2%. The remaining 8% revenue sources include a mix of rentals, university-based programs, student fees, and other nonprofits.

Map of the Media Arts Field

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Organizational Budgets

Organizations reported total operating budgets for their last fiscal year, as of June 1, 2010, totaling $288,050,000 annually.  Funds for these budgets come from the following sources based on respondents’ answers:

Technology Purchases

Fifty percent of respondents reported spending a total of $10.3MM annually on technology.  For the purposes of this survey, technology includes a mix of software and hardware used for administrative work and for developing/presenting/broadcasting creative work at these organizations.

Programming and Reach

Through broadcast/cablecast, radio and the web, these organizations present 285,850 programs annually that reaches 33,766,500 viewers and listeners.

Membership

One hundred and fifty-two (42%) of responding organizations reported having membership programs. Nationwide, 335,219 members belong to these nonprofit media arts and public media organizations.

Over the coming months NAMAC will periodically report out on other findings from this data as we begin developing the full report on Mapping the Media Arts Field.  Please contact Jack Walsh, Executive Director of NAMAC at jack@namac.org with any questions you may have about this data.  Stay tuned!

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Mapping the Media Arts Field is made possible by the generous support of The Nathan Cummings Foundation, Ford Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts - Media Arts Program, Surdna Foundation, Tides Foundation, and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.