U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1960)

radio research A SILVER SPOON IS NOT ENOUGH She may be born with "advantages" and raised with love — but there still can l>e plenty lacking. That is, if the school she goes to isn"t good enough. Crowded classrooms, uncjualified teachers, outdated equipment, iiiadecpiate curriculum — any one of these can shortchange your chiUl's education and her future. Look into the quality of the schools she'll attend — work through your local committees or your School Board for their improvement. Doesn't she deserve the best'.' FREE BOOKLET! Measure (he qtuility of education offered in your child s srhool. Find out how it ( oniparcs with the best in the country. ..how you can make it better. For your copv— ami free guidance on many school problems — wiile: Better Schools, 9 East 40th Street, New York 16, New York. Yardsticks for ' Public Schools Pulse Survey Studies CountryWestern Music Families m nu* Fans ot couiuiy-uc'stcm music, in iciatioii to their listening and buying habits as a part ol the radio audience, are the subjects of a recent survey by liie Pidse Inc. for the Ciharles Bernard (..o.. radio-tv representatives. Therepoil shows iliat 18.1! ])ci(eiii ot the lamilics interviewed listened to country-western nuisic in ])relerence to other nuisic. In an effort to study these listeners. Pulse interviewed 1 1.000 laniilies in the lollowing markets: .\tlania, .\ugusta (Ga.), Baltimore, Charlotte (N. C), Denver, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Kansas (iiiv (Mo.), Los .Angeles, Memphis, .Miami, Nashville, Orlando (Fla.), Phoenix, San Bernardino (Calil.), Salt Lake City, Tucson and L'lica-Rome-Remsen, N. Y. From the total homes interviewed, the Pulse report relleds the tastes anil pieferences ol 2,000 families that (jualified as (ountry-wesiei n music homes. lo determine a coumi y-western musi( listening home, the interviewer iiseil a (luestionnaiie listing 12 types of music— fiom show tunes to hymns. The listener was asked to select the types he listened to most. The same ledmiijue was followed in asking the listener his prelereiue ol singers, showing a list of 14. In the list of music programs, the report indicates that five were significant in defining a country-western household. They are country music, gospel music, western music, folk music and hymns. In the list ol singers, seven were considered significairt: Jim Reeves, Red Foley, Eildie .\i nold, Tennessee Ernie Ford, (iene .\uiry, Jinnnie Rodgers and Roy Rogers. The report shows that 2,000, or 18.2 percent ol families interviewed, indicated a preference lor at least three of the above program types and three of the singers. Of this group, only 33.8 percent indicated a preference for three each of the noncountry-western programs and sing ers. The report draws the conclusion that the country-western home possesses a uniqueness in this lespect and does not listen readily and frecpieinly to other types of music. Lhe report shows a number of markets where the penetration figures lor couiiii y-western homes are lather high, .\mong them: .\ugusta ((ia.), 30.7 percent; Charlotte (N. C;.), 21.3 peicent; Denver (Colo.), 22 percent; Memphis, 20 percent, and Nashville, 55.3 percent. When asked their total family income per year, 31.2 percent of the families reported figures between .$5,000 and .$7,499. In Favored Brands a brands prelerence study. Pulse discovered that 65.4 ]jercent of the families reported that members of their families smoked tobacco. The number smoking non-filter cigarettes is tabulated at 932— filters, 1,015. .Among non-filter smokers, 23.3 percent reported a preference for Pall Mall, followed by Camel, 22.6 percent, Lucky Strike, 12.3 peicent, and ('hesterfield, 9.1 percent. Most pojjular of the filler cigarettes, (he leporl says, is Winston with a II peicent lead. The .second brand is Salem, chosen by 13.6 percent, and third is L8:M, 8.8 percent. .Mthough the report gives a figure of 27 percent for families that serve beer or ale in their homes, it is ]K)inted out that a large proportion of the group drank these beverages outside the home. When asked what i)iaiicl of beer or ale was served last, 15.4 percent replied Schlitz, 9.6 percent Budweiser and 9.3 percent Coors. Homes serving regular coffee number 71 percent, with the brand leader Maxwell House, 30.2 jjercent, followed by Folger's, 16.0 peicent. Maxwell House is first choice for instant coffee drinkers, also. Of the 55 percent reporting use of instant, 45.5 percent preferred Maxwell House, 9.9 picked Folger's and 8.7 percent usee! Instant Sanka. • • • 64 U. S. RADIO October 1960