Broadcasting (Oct 1931-Dec 1932)

Record Details:

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Listening Habits and Income (Continued from page 11) RESULTS THE FINAL STANDARD for measuring the effectiveness of any Advertising On March 30th, 1932, a nursery account, using WLS advertising for the first time, went on the air with spot announcements. Results from their original two-week contract were so overwhelming that they continued an additional four weeks. Thirtyseven one-minute announcements and 28 quarter hour programs during the six weeks' period secured 37,600 orders for nursery stock. A breakfast cereal manufacturer, using 15 minutes on WLS daily except Sunday since Sept. 15, 1930, has received a total of 184,218 box tops from the product; 37,194 in 1930, 82,493 in 1931, and 64,531 in the first five months of 1932. Unassisted by any other form of advertising WLS has increased the distribution in the Chicago area from but TWO to 5,000 dealers. Let WLS help increase your sales. Whether your problem is distribution or retail sales, our competent program department will make a careful study of your market and build you programs which bring RESULTS. THE PRAIRIE FARMER STATION Burridge D. Butler, Pres. Glenn Snyder, Mgr. Main Studios and Office 1230 West Washington Boulevard, CHICAGO 50,000 Watts • 870 Kilocycles differences in certain sections of the listening curves. In general there is a tendency for the higher incomes to show smaller proportions of listeners at all hours of the day except between 6 and 9 p. m. This is especially noticeable in the morning and afternoon hours. The proportion of listeners in the group under $2,000, for example, in the afternoon is probably larger than is popularly supposed, the number between 3 p. m. and 5 p. m. being about 32 per cent of the most popular hours in the evening. Incidentally, it might be remarked that the female audience contributes substantially to this result. The same can not be said for the other income groups, however, and the difference between the lowest and the highest income groups is particularly marked. On the other hand, the hour of 4 to 5 o'clock in the afternoon was found unusually popular in the highest income group. This raises the question of the effect of the program upon the proportion of listeners, a question which is of considerable importance. Is it not possible that the relative popularity of hours, within certain limits, might be considerably modified by the type of program presented ? This offers a field for further investigation to determine the extent within which "hour popularity" may be modified by "program popularity" or, in other words, the relative effect of the time of day as compared with the kind of entertainment. Variations Noticeable IT WILL ALSO be noticed that the proportion of listeners in the higher income groups tends to fall off more rapidly in the later hours of the evening. The hour from 9 to 10 o'clock appears to be almost as popular in the two lower income groups as the most popular hour, 7 to 8, but the diminution in attractiveness for the higher income groups of the later evening hours is quite evident, although not extreme. This would also be evident in the "Saturday listening curve" if space were available to reproduce it. Thus it is apparent that there are noticeable variations in listening habits among different economic groups. This investigation has revealed, not only considerable information of practical value to broadcasting stations and advertisers, but also has suggested numerous profitable avenues for further investigation. For example, as might be expected, marked differences are shown in the listening habits of males and females. The results also raise a presumption that there are important variations in the habits of whites and negroes, but unfortunately the number of the latter included in the sample was so small that the variations may be merely chance fluctuations. Saturday Afternoon Peak ON SATURDAY afternoon the highest income group reaches a higher peak than other income groups. On Sundays, even in the morning and afternoon, there is a close correspondence between the listening times for males and females, in contrast with the important differences found to exist on weekdays. I refrain from mentioning well-known differences in program preferences among different economic groups. In brief it would seem that the investigation of the habits of radio listeners is a field which may be cultivated with considerable profit by the broadcaster and the advertiser. As is always the case with new industries, radio broadcasting was at first compelled to rely upon popular suppositions, a priori hypotheses and crude estimates. Recent studies have contributed, however, to a more exact knowledge of the preferences of listeners for types of programs, extent of listening, preferred hours and station coverage. Much more remains to be done in ascertaining nature of coverage, effect of programs upon listening habits, racial and sex differences in listening habits and the analysis of listeners' economic status. 1 H. S. Hettinger, "Radio Survey," Universal Broadcasting Co., 1930. 2 Hettinger and Mead, "Analysis of the Summer Radio Audience," Universal Broadcasting Co., 1931. 3 Robert Riegel, "The Buffalo Radio Audience," WBEN, Inc., 1932. 4 A report of the results of this study will shortly be published by Station WBEN under the title "The Buffalo Radio Audience." AN INCREASE in power from 50 to 100 watts, and authority to make changes in equipment has been granted KRSC, Seattle, by the Radio Commission. Frequency Measuring Service Many stations find this exact measuring service of great value for routine observation of transmitter performance and for accurately calibrating their own monitors. MEASUREMENTS WHEN YOU NEED THEM MOST R. C. A. COMMUNICATIONS, Inc. Commercial Department A RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA SUBSIDIARY 66 BROAD STREET NEW YORK, N. Y. Page 26 BROADCASTING • July 15, 1932