Switzerland is the first and as of now only country in which the population's radio listening is not established by interviews but electronically. Radiocontrol (RC) has been delivering official radio data since January 2001. This paper looks back in retrospect at the last 'measuring' year full of discoveries, surprises and events. After one year of operating the panel and system, first conclusions can be drawn with respect to the rotating panel and the reliability of the system can be evaluated. Acceptance in the market is of course another measuring hallmark. The data analysis in this first year of operation shows familiar findings with more precision and allows the discovery of new and surprising details.In addition, the autumn months showed clearly that the up-to-date medium was appreciated and used. Finally, the key findings in Switzerland can be compared to the first experiences with field tests in other countries.
Switzerland is the first and, as of now, only country in which radio listening is not established by interviews but rather electronically. The Radiocontrol (RC) technique is based on audio comparison and has been delivering official radio data since January 2001. Previously 22,000 people were recruited by random quota sampling. Radiocontrol presents the radio world in a different light. Radio is far more than an accompaniment through the day. Media events such as the election of the Federal Council, for example, are reflected in the newly established data and show how listeners also use that medium selectively.
Future media research will require: o the provision of high sophisticated information about new media applications (DAB, DVB, Multimedia, other); o tools which are able to monitor media consumption in an environment which becomes more complex - at the broadcasters site as well as at the recipients home; o a possibility to compensate the decrease in quality of self observation of the individual caused by changes in the individual media consumption structure; o bigger samples to compensate audience fragmentation; o an integrated solution. If the goal is international harmonization or compatibility to other media, isolated technical solutions are no longer required.
Work has been continuing for some time now in Switzerland on an electronic Single-Source survey instrument. The procedure has been carried out gradually. This means that in 1986 the device was first tested only in the consumer field in about 25 households. The surprise result was the level of acceptance of this new method as well as the few problems associated with it. The second test in 1987 was hardly a complete Single-Source survey, but nonetheless the test families were the households of Research department members. These households were equipped with the latest version of the TELECONTROL viewer measuring device, as well as with the TELECONTROL-compatible Consumer-Media-Control device. The entire eleven-week test with specialists produced very worthwhile results and indications in terms of both software and hardware. There were no problems with installation, and technical operations, including the daily data call back, went off without, a hitch. The primary aim of this test was to try out these functions. The third test, which was also carried out in 1987 was to evaluate the level of acceptance of the Consumer-Media-Control device in average households over a longer period of time. In 18 house- holds , the dally purchase an a media usage (without TV) of all family members (a total of 48 people over the age of 13) were recorded over a six-week period. The idea of the Single-Source survey through a CMC device worked flawlessly. However, households or rather families did not (yet) appear to be ideal as a target group.
The single-source based input-output check is, of course, intended for marketing research; it makes it possible to investigate campaign findings accurately, deploy advertising vehicles to best advantage and lastly, to improve the advertising media. On the other hand, the single-source method clearly enriches research in the media sciences also. Not only does it measure intermediary connections in the use of mass media, the input-output check too is of interest, though more with a view to scientific knowledge rather than to potential economic applications. Single source undoubtedly comes closer to dealing with the above-mentioned problem than most of the investigation methods in current use. The idea in itself is not new: the Advertising Research Foundation developed a single-source survey prototype for assessing advertising vehicles as early as 1961 and this model was put into practice in a panel of cable-TV households . For single source to come into its own, the following elements had to be refined: - computer, - scanner, - measuring instruments and barcodes. The 1980s have provided the necessary technical prerequisites for applying single source in a wide variety of fields, and in the 1990s, the extensive availability of these elements will create a cost-benefit ratio which ensures their application in practice. I should now like to go on to introduce the latest single-source tests conducted using the TELECONTROL system