The paper describes a comprehensive programme of research to explore the psychology of radio listening and its subsequent and potential uses. It is possibly the first study anywhere to explore comprehensively the integrated communication processes of radio, with applications to a wide range of decision-making as regards corporate station positioning, radio programming and advertising. Broadly, it should provide all users of the medium with a better understanding of radio.
The study from which this paper has been written was conducted on behalf of Radio Luxembourg (London) Limited, part of Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Teledifussion's television and radio service. In 1979 Radio Luxembourg commissioned Social Surveys (Gallup Poll) Limited to conduct a programming study to assess the requirement from an evening radio station among persons available to listen at that time. As a result of the study the station was re-programmed and with the aid of advertising/marketing the decline in audience was reversed. Similar studies were conducted in 1980 and 1981 with subsequent minor amendments to programming to take account of changing tastes, and the station has maintained its higher audience levels.
The marketing objectives and programming output for a radio station never remain the same, neither do the problems. But the research programme set up in 1979 has proved to be an accurate and flexible instrument. Radio Tele Luxembourg is firmly convinced that it would not be possible to programme, market or sell the 208 English Service without the benefit of a continuing research programme.
This paper describes how Capital Radio and Marplan worked together to use research to build an audience. From the start Marplan worked alongside the key executives at Capital, discussing, interpreting and making decisions based on the findings. Two types of research were involved - audience measurement and audience ratings of programmes and presenters. Helped by research Capital has developed its programming and presentation and has grown from a low of 5% share of listening three months after going on air to a current share of over 25% - making Capital the largest station in the London area, against the entrenched competition of the BBC.
The purpose of the research was to collect data on the effect of in-store advertising through the Supersound system, and so to provide an answer to the question whether the large scale introduction of this system would be useful.
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.
In its eleven years of existence the Israel Institute of Applied Social Research (Jerusalem) has made only one study entirely devoted to measuring the impact of communication. It was a blitz-survey on the radio-listening by the Israel population to the international Bible Quiz last year.