Abstract:

Broadcasting lays an adult world open to any child who can turn a switch, displaying this world effortlessly, vividly and for the-most part uncritically. The more television takes over from radio as the main broadcasting medium, the greater the attraction to the child. The BBC has shared the general concern in recent years about the effect of broadcasting on children, and has recognised that a primary need In this field is to be able to assess the child audience, its size and, if possible, its reactions. This paper outlines the evolution and methods of their present system of finding out the number of children listening to or viewing each programme broadcast, with brief references to the results and to current experiments in the more difficult problem of gauging children's reactions to programmes.