The aim of this paper is to describe the behaviour of previous-day radio listeners according to the number of listening sessions, that is the number of periods they are in contact with this medium in general. The article is in 4 parts. In the first part, we will introduce the radio survey which is the benchmark reference in France; the second part will be devoted to socio-demographic analysis and a description of the equipment of the four groups defined according to the number of daily radio- listening sessions. Part 3 studies the connection between the number of listening sessions and the number of stations listened to. The fourth chapter concentrates on studying how the listening sessions are positioned throughout the day, depending on the attitude group and the session's ranking in the succession of time-slots of radio contact. Radio as a media will be taken overall, without referring to its various components: groups or stations.
The 24 hour recall technique is common to nine European countries, while the diary is used in five. According to Mr Peter Menneerâs presentation in Nov-Dec. to ESOMAR , most countries where diary is used for measuring radio audience tend to present higher figures than the countries using 24 hour recall technique. Another conclusion of Mr Peter Menneerâs presentation was that in UK, the average listening per head measured by RAJAR jumped by 50% when moving from 24 hour recall to 7 day diary. However it never has been possible to have a thorough and consistent comparison between both methods on a same period, in order to eliminate bias and to check whether diary technique always tends to register higher levels than the recall technique when measuring the radio audience. Fortunately, French market provides such a case, since Mediametrie conducted a panel in Jan- Feb 1993 additionnally to the current phone 24 hour recall called 75 000. The role of the panel was not to substituate to the 75 000 recall survey but to analyse the audience flows, accumulation and duplications during a significantly long period, which the 75000 survey cannot afford.
The advance in technology has been partially a consequence of the increase in radio programming. This accompanies and will continue to accompany the development of pre- programming of radio stations. Following a rationalisation of demand through pre-programming, radio stations need to ensure that they are included in the 'basket" or set of stations pre- selected and pre- programmed by each listener. This phenomenon is becoming more and more important because the number of stations heard is constrained. This article provides previously unavailable information on pre- programming and the number of stations heard in France. Potential demand is defined by stations that are pre- programmed while discriminating from actual demand which is represented by those stations to which the listener actually listens.