Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1962)

Roslow predicts changes in ratings systems SEES EMPHASIS SHIFT FROM HOMES TO INDIVIDUALS The late 60's and 70's will see "a lot less irresponsible nit-pickings at ratings and a lot greater appreciation of their true role and limitations," Dr. Sydney Roslow, director, The Pulse Inc., told the Hollywood Ad Club in a speech last Monday (Nov. 19). He and his research colleagues, Dr. Roslow stated, "have been quite upset" — by those who try to blame the ratings for the "frustrations" they feel "as if not having ratings would really enable advertisers to buy better programs and really enable sellers to program better. It's a tribute to the common sense of people in and out of the industry that they did not permit ratings to be stampeded into regimentation, or out of existence, to satisfy people angry about something else." Looking ahead 10 or 15 years, Dr. Roslow expressed the belief that "the whole structure of the rating report will change; broader time periods will be rated, maybe three-hour segments" with three-hour audience composition blocks and cumulative audience reports. "The emphasis will be on persons rather than homes," he predicted, noting that the transistor radio has already done much to make radio listening an individual activity. "The same transition will take place in television with the advent of the truly small portable tv set," he went on. "Persons will constitute the target for the advertiser. He will be pinpointing his advertising messages rather than employing the buckshot approach on rooftops." Fm Study ■ In fm, ratings for 15minute and half-hour periods aren't the answer, the Pulse principal declared. Ratings by "broader periods, plus cumulative data, shown by three or sixhour blocks, daily and weekly, may be the answer." He reported that such a survey has already been produced for six non-duplicating fm stations in Los Angeles and predicted that more research will be done in the future on a Jk ^^Bi^SBH Jk. Dr. Roslow There'll be changes made cooperative basis. Qualitative information is going to become increasingly important to broadcasters, advertisers and agencies in the years ahead, Dr. Roslow stated. As a major step, he cited the just-published Dimension '62 — "a qualitative breakdown of the entire radio audience: by income, education, age, sex, number of children, employment status of housewife, amount of listening, place of listening and kind of radio listened to . . ." He acknowledged his debt to four station representatives — AM Radio Sales, H-R, The Katz Agency and Radio-Tv Reps, who joined Pulse in "underwriting this study as a service to the entire radio-television and advertising industry." This study shows that three out of four people over 12 years of age listen to the radio on an average weekday, he said, with an average daily listening of 6.4 hours per household, 21% of it Salada happy with year-long radio honeymoon Spot radio is holding its own for one of its happiest customers. Salada Tea, which withdrew all its newspaper advertising and put its entire budget of $1.5 million in the medium a year ago, (Broadcasting, Nov. 20, 1961), still uses radio almost exclusively and has increased its markets, stations and frequency. Salada entered radio in about 20 markets in 1961, and since increased that number to about 26. Its adver tising is concentrated on 45-50 stations in the Northeast, with 24 to 150 spots per week per station, according to the market's size. John W. Colpitts, advertising manager of the SaladaJunket Div. of the Salada Foods Co., indicated the firm was very satisfied with the results of the radio drive, and expected to continue the campaign indefinitely. Salada's agency is Hoag & Provandie Inc., Boston. out-of home with a third of the out-ofhome listening done in autos. Inside the home, only half the total listening is to fixed radio sets. The data show that families doing the most listening, more than 11 hours a day, include a 25% larger than normal share of high income families ($7,500 and up) and a 44% above normal number of large families (five or more members). Conversely, the lightest listening homes (1.3 hours a day) are 40% below normal in the big family category and only 9% above normal in the high income group. Dr. Roslow concluded by noting that "there will be a lot less mis-use and abuse of research as more of us discover that research is not the action. It is not the judgment. It is only an aid to judgment ... It is a tool to complement all the other tools management needs for its cerebral decisions." ARF's ratings guide becomes 'best seller' A booklet that discusses broadcast ratings for the executive who isn't research-oriented, released this fall by the Advertising Research Foundation, is a "best seller." It is called "The Intelligent Man's Guide to Broadcast Ratings" by Martin Mayer (the author of Madison Avenue, U.S.A. and other books and magazine articles). ARF commissioned the report to explain the highly technical field of broadcast research — of which audience measurement, or ratings, is a key indicator— to the layman. Mr. Mayer based his booklet on the so-called "Madow Report" — an evaluation of broadcast ratings methods submitted to the House Interstate & Foreign Commerce Committee a couple of years ago. ARF said many readers of the report had "expressed the need for a condensed and simplified version" and that in May 1961 ARF's board of directors commissioned the summary. ABC, CBS and NBC underwrote publication and it was approved by both the ARF board and its technical committee "consultation section." Second Printing ■ The first printing in September 1962 totaled between 1,400 and 1,500 copies but the demand was so immediate for bulk orders that ARF this month issued a second printing, bringing the total number of booklets to some 3,500. The Television Information Office has circulated 500 or more booklets to TIO's "sponsors," suggesting broadcasters might find the booklet helpful to those in direct contact with the public. ARF spokesmen said the booklet is the most popular such printing of recent years. 46 (BROADCAST ADVERTISING) BROADCASTING, November 26, 1962