U. S. Radio (Jan-Dec 1960)

report on Station Survey Profiles Fm Situation in Florida Market WFLM-FM Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., has added to the steadily mounting statistical data on the fm market. The station, which went on the air about two months ago, conducted a survey just before starting its operations. Objective of the study was to determine fm radio ownership and listenership in Broward Comity, Fla. Fm radio ownership in the area, the study shows, "is now about 33 percent of all wired homes. This represents a significant growth over an ownership rate of about 20 percent measured in a similar survey conducted in 1958." Refining this figure, it was learned that 26 percent of the households with fm receivers actually listen to fm broadcasts (19 percent listen on a regular, daily basis.) Compared with the 1958 report, the sur\ey shows that "Broward County has had a 100 percent growth in fm listenership in about 18 months." A "marked dispersion" of Im radio listening is notecl, with 10 percent of the listening homes accounting for 30 percent of the fm radio listening. "Conversely, 28 percent of the listening homes do only six percent of the fm radio listening." Considerable attention was given to the extent of fm radio ownership among the various socio-economic classes. Included among the findings of the survey was the fact that there is a higher incidence of fm radio ownership among renters (38 percent) than among home owners (32 percent) . According to the survey, "this difference is statistically significant. It suggests that fm radio has wider appeal to the younger, mobile, renter type of individual than it has to the older, more static home owner. "There is a significantly greater late of fm radio ownership among homes having married couples in residence (37 percent) than among their single person coimterparts (22 percent) . The low rate among unmarried persons can be explained perhaps by the fact that single-person homes in BroAvard County are largely composed of widows and widowers. Perhaps, being older, they have less interest in the hi-fi qualities offered by fm reception." A definite relationship between fm receiver ownership and occupation and income level was brought out by the survey. It was found that 77 percent of the professionals owned fm sets; proprietors accounted for 39 percent; supervisors and managers \\ere at the county average with 33 percent, and blue and white collar workers accounted for 30 percent. It is also pointed out that "almost half of all fm radio sets in the coimty are located in homes where the breadwinner is a professional, proprietor or supervisor." Other facts brought out by the study are that the homes with children have a higher incidence of fm radio ownership (35 percent) than do childless homes, and that homes ^^hich have one or more occupants at work show a higher saturation of fm ownership than do retirement homes (31 percent). Both of these findings are seen as indications that fm radio is more popular "among the younger, more active, more productive segments of the Broward County economy." In siunmarizing the results of the survey, it is stated that "There is room for improvement in promoting greater use of fm radio. Forty percent of the present fm radio owners, (in Broward County) listen to their sets only occasionally. There has been a big improvement in fm listenership, however, and as more stations come on the air and fm radio becomes even better known, listenership ^vill doubtless improve." • • • NEW SOUND OF THE 60's IN COLUMBUS THE CAPITAl STATION COLUMBUS 15, OHIO In Columbus, most folks listen to WCOL. In Columbus, most advertisers se// on WCOL. Family programming . . . rigidly enforced single spotting that "showcases" your sales message ... all flawless delivery. These are the factors that make the NEW WCOL your most powerful sales force in Central Ohio. 24-hours-a-day broadcasting 1230 AM 92.3 FM represented by bert e. eastman • CO.. «. CBS WHBF RADIO and TELEVISION U. S. RADIO April 1960 95