U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1959)

radio How Do Listeners Rate Popular Music? One station's lejoiiuki to critics who claim radio is humming the wrong tune (Is Radio Ploying Music in a Single Groove? September 1959) can be found in the current project of KING Seattle to remold its programming nearer to the public desire. Acting on the results of a recent survey of popular music tastes in its listening area, KING says it is now taking "the necessary steps" to reflect those tastes in its programming. Of primary significance in its study, according to the station, is the revelation that "raucous rock 'n roll" is at the bottom of the heap so far as its listeners as a whole are concerned— and plays second fiddle to other current hits in the preference of teenagers themselves. This type of music drew an expression of "strong dislike" from 33 percent of respondents to the survey and "dislike" from 21 percent for an over-all unfavorable reaction of 54 percent, KING states. Among teenagers, it ranked second to such calmer hits as "What A DiflEerence A Day Makes" by Dinah Washington. At the same time, the station reports, an overwhelming majority of people answering the poll list as first choice the tunes which KING classifies as "Golden Records" (ones which have sold a million copies or more, excluding those with a heavy rock 'n roll beat) . A total of 75 percent of the respondents said they either "like" (39 percent) or "strongly like" (36 percent) these. The survey netted 10,000 postcard responses from a mailing to 100,000 residents in western Washington, the station says. Details of the project were supervised by Dr. Stuart Carter Dodd, director of the Washington Public Opinion Laboratory and research professor at the University of Washington. They included a system for culling out irresponsible replies and for giving an objective presentation of selected music, according to Earl Reilly Jr., station manager. "Each respondent was required to listen at a scheduled time for one of 70 survey broadcasts," he explains, "and rate 10 tunes representing five areas of popular music." Category 1 ("Current hits with raucous rock 'n roll beat or 'screaming' rhythm and blues lyrics") proves to be low scorer with the group as a whole and each of four age groups except the I2-to 16-yearolds. It collected 6,036 expressions of strong dislike (all other categories combined netted only 5,621 votes of "thumbs down," the station notes) . In second place among the under16's, it is "strongly liked" by 49 percent, "liked" by 25 percent. Among respondents in the next age bracket, 17 to 21, this category dives from second to fourth place, with almost as many "strongly disliking" (23 percent) as "strongly liking" it (24 percent) . Among respondents over 22, this category runs a poor fifth. Category 2 ("Current hits excluding raucous rock 'n roll") is third on the list of the respondents as a group, first with 12-to 16-year-olds and second with 17 to 21 -year-olds. Category 3 ("Familiar 'standards' arranged in such a way that the melody line is easy to follow; for example, 'Tenderly' by Pat Boone") ranks second with the group at large and respondents over 21, third with the 17-21 group and fourth with the 12-16 group. Categroy 4 ("Unfamiliar tunes plus familiar tunes with arrangements that make them difficult to recognize") makes an unimpressive showing with all age groups. Category 5 ("Gold Records, all million-sellers excluding raucous rock 'n roll type") is tops with the group as a whole, and with every age group over 16. It's also, according to the survey, a strong third with the so-called rock 'n roll set. • • • WSGN I iimiiiyiK ^ imiiiiii First In The Hearts of Birmingham Housewives Says August "PULSE" National Representative: Venard, Rintoul & McConnell, Inc. Southern Representative: James S. Ayers Company < Will cash ^* Register Ring for Fm ? 2. style Guide for Reprints of selected articles and features in U. S. Radio are available in the above form. Other articles and features in U. S. Radio can be reprinted for your use at nominal cost. For complete details write — I Reprints U. S. Radio 50 West 57th Street New York 19, N. Y. U. S. RADIO • November 1959 61