Newsweek Media Research Index

Radio Research: Methodological Research

1966 - NBC - CUMULATIVE RADIO AUDIENCE METHOD (CRAM)

A study to develop a reliable method for securing accurate average half hour and cumulative audience data for network radio. Two methods were used: an augmented coincidental technique and daily telephone recall technique.

1966 - SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY FOR THE PULSE - AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE "NOT-AT-HOME" PROBLEM ENCOUNTERED IN PERSONAL INTERVIEW SURVEYS

Those not-at-home for the original Pulse interview were contacted to determine if their listening behavior differed substantially from those contacted. It was found that ratings and audience composition were altered only moderately.

1967 - AMERICAN RESEARCH BUREAU - COMPENDIUM OF RADIO RESEARCH CONDUCTED BY ARB

A compilation and short description of the radio methodological research conducted by ARB from June 1964-March 1967.

1967 - NATIONAL ANALYSTS, INC. FOR RADIO ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES - POLYPHASE

A study that determined the differences in listening patterns between cooperators and non-cooperators to a radio diary survey and developed a method to account for the listening of the non-cooperators.

1975 - BUREAU OF BROADCAST MEASUREMENT CANADA - REVIEW OF THE 1974-75 RESEARCH PROGRAM OF BBM THE BUREAU OF MEASUREMENT

Report of research concerning estimates obtained with dual purpose diary (measuring both television and radio in one diary) with estimates from separate diaries for each medium. Diary estimates were also compared with telephone coincidental data. This study resulted in use of separate radio and television diaries. (Also listed under television research.)

1977 - AUDITS & SURVEYS FOR RADIO ADVERTISING BUREAU AND NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS - RADIO FEASIBILITY STUDY

Radio audience methods study conducted by telephone among over 1,000 respondents in Chicago in fall 1977. Compared audience estimates from daily interviews for seven consecutive days vs. three interviews on non-consecutive days across a seven day period. Daily interview method was subsequently used with modifications by Audits & Surveys in TRAC-7 syndicated radio audience service started in 1978.

1979 - ARBITRON - THE RADIO NON-RESPONSE STUDY

Comparison of radio audience estimates obtained in telephone recall interviews among previous diary responders (in April/ May 1978 Arbitron diary survey) vs. the total sample (including previous diary responders and non-responders). Conducted in June 1978 in three markets among almost 3,000 persons 12 and over. Findings: listening levels were slightly higher among diary responders, shares for "white collar" stations were also higher in this group. Demographically, diary responders were more middle-aged, more affluent and better educated.

1979 - ARBITRON - MEASURING THE BLACK RADIO AUDIENCE

A study to evaluate the response and nonresponse errors associated with the Arbitron telephone retrieval and mail diary techniques for measuring radio among blacks. Study concluded that a mail-diary technique is probably superior to telephone retrieval in terms of audience measurement.

1979 - ARBITRON - MEASURING THE HISPANIC RADIO AUDIENCE

A study to evaluate the response and nonresponse errors associated with the Arbitron personal placement and retrieval technique and the mail diary technique for measuring radio listening among hispanics. Study found that the two methods produced comparable listening estimates among hispanics.

1982 - ARBITRON - REPLICATION II

Analysis of the reliability of audience ratings obtained in arbitron radio surveys. The basis for new estimating tables to determine the reliability of radio audience ratings in Arbitron radio reports. Report contains comprehensive discussion of procedures used and relevant considerations in the analysis.

1982 - ARBITRON - QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON BLACK DIFFERENTIAL SURVEY TREATMENT

Review of questions concerning Arbitron's differential survey treatment radio audience method among blacks, introduced by Arbitron in 1982. Report includes reference list of Arbitron tests concerning this method.

1982 - BUREAU OF BROADCAST MEASUREMENT, CANADA - BBM RADIO SURVEY METHODOLOGY, THE NEXT STEP.

Report concerning BBM's experience with household "flooding"; that is sending a diary to each person in household. Resulted in use of this technique by BBM.

1982 - BUREAU OF BROADCAST MEASUREMENT, CANADA - WHAT HAPPENS WHEN RESPONDENTS GET A BBM RADIO DIARY?

Study to examine how people fill out radio diaries.

1984 - BUREAU OF BROADCAST MEASUREMENT, CANADA - RELIABILITY IN BBM SURVEYS - THE BATTLE OF THE BOUNCE

A study of sampling error in radio data that resulted in a decrease in the minimum sample required.

1984 - DEREK BLOOM, RADIO MARKETING BUREAU LTD., LONDON, U.K. - RADIO: PROBLEMS IN MEASURING AN INVISIBLE MEDIUM - FROM THE 1984 ESOMAR CONFERENCE

Discussion of radio audience measurement. Includes summary review of major radio methods studies in U.S., Canada and Britain.

1985 - HUGH M. BEVILLE, JR. - AUDIENCE RATINGS - LAURENCE ERLBAUM ASSOCIATES, 1985

Comprehensive, authoritative reference book concerning broadcast audience ratings. The author provides: a review of the major radio and television rating services, 1930-1984, including Crossley, Hooper, Nielsen, Pulse, Arbitron, Birch, Radar, AGB and others; a comparative examination of the basic ratings methodologies; a discussion of types of ratings data, their uses and related issues; and a discussion of future developments. Concise reviews of the major methodological studies in broadcast measurement (e.g., ARMS, CONTAM studies, COLTRAM studies, CAMS, others) are also included. This book provides a basic textbook in broadcast audience measurement, authored by the expert, Mal Beville.

1985 - MARTIN R. FRANKEL AND MICHAEL G. OCCHIOGROSSO, ARBITRON - RADIO AUDIENCE ACCUMULATION OVER MULTIPLE WEEKS - JAR, JUNE/JULY 1985

Analysis of audience accumulation data from four-week diaries versus one-week diaries. Based on data collected in a 1982 arbitron test of multi-week diaries. The analysis showed that cumes for dayparts and for specific spot schedules were lower based on the one-week versus the four-week diary. These results challenge the current practice of estimating multi-week radio schedules based on models derived from single-week data. A further step in the analysis was development of a multi-week estimating model. A test of this model against two single-week models in current use demonstrated that the multi-week model was more accurate.

1987 - AGB/INFORMATION & ANALYSIS FOR THE SPANISH RADIO ADVISORY COUNCIL - A PILOT STUDY TO HELP DETERMINE THE MOST APPROPRIATE METHODOLOGY FOR CONDUCTING RADIO AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT SURVEYS AMONG HISPANICS

This study compared telephone versus personal interviews for radio audience surveys among hispanics. Interviews were conducted in Chicago, in February 1987, with 528 persons in the telephone survey and 681 in the personal interview survey. The study found significantly higher listening levels and hispanic station shares in the personal interview study. Analysis of the findings suggested that the differences were due to some type of interviewer effect. Further research was recommended.

1988 - BIRCH SCARBOROUGH - ANALYSIS OF NO ANSWER/BUSY PHONE NUMBERS IN A RANDOM DIGIT DIAL SAMPLE

Study to determine the actual status of unresolved telephone numbers (no answers and busies) in Birch radio audience surveys in five markets: New York, Chicago, Sacramento, New Orleans, and Davenport. In the September 1988 radio surveys among random digit dial samples in these markets, there were 1,018 unresolved numbers in total (from 6.5% to 11.0% of original sample per market). In this follow-up study a month later, up to 30 callbacks were attempted to each unresolved number. Resolution after these attempts ranged from 70.5% to 89.0%. the results of this test were used by Birch for response rate calculations.

1989 - BIRCH SCARBOROUGH - AN ANALYSIS OF THE NUMBER OF ATTEMPTS MADE TO REACH SPECIFIC DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

This analysis compared the number of attempts used by Birch to obtain completed telephone interviews among men and women, by age group. Based on records for 301 completed Birch radio listening interviews in the Boston metro area, in May 1989. Birch concluded that there was no significant difference among the groups.

1989 - BIRCH SCARBOROUGH - THE OCCURENCE OF REFUSALS AND RELUCTANCE IN THE BIRCH INTERVIEW

An exploratory study to determine when refusals and reluctance occur among respondents in the Birch radio interview. Based on analyses of 1,431 interviews during the August 1989 Birch survey.

1989 - BIRCH SCARBOROUGH - SEVEN DAY METHODS TEST

Report of a test to compare Birch weekly cumes,based on listening today and yesterday obtained in the single-day standard Birch interview, versus cumes based on successive daily interviews with respondents across the week. Conducted in Milwaukee, January-April 1989. Based on interview with 1,235 respondents. Birch concluded that there was no significant difference among the groups.

1989 - PETER MENNEER - RADIO AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT: A COMPARISON OF THE 24-HOUR AIDED RECALL TECHNIQUE WITH THE 7-DAY SELF-COMPLETION DIARY - FROM THE 1989 ESOMAR SEMINAR, PARIS

British methodological study comparing the 24-hour recall method used by BBC and the diary method used by the independent local radio stations. In practice the two methods produce significantly different estimates of the amount of listening per week: on average, 18.5 hours based on the diary and 10.5 hours based on aided recall. Aided recall interviews were conducted with 1,743 respondents; among these respondents, 1,065 also completed the 7-day diary. About half of the difference was accounted for by two factors examined in the study: lower listening among non-diary keepers, and a difference in the definition of quarter-hour listening used by the two services.

1990 - CLAIRE L. KUMMER, ARBITRON - ARBITRON'S EXPERIMENTS WITH THE ELECTRONIC FROM THE 1990 ARF ELECTRONIC MEDIA WORKSHOP

Description of procedures used in a 1990 test to evaluate an electronic television diary and an electronic radio diary. A total of 866 diaries, half television and half radio, were placed in 371 households, in one large metro area, in May, July and October 1990. Sample selection and survey procedures were implemented as in the standard Arbitron diary surveys. Results will be published in 1991.

1990 - BIRCH SCARBOROUGH - FOCUS ON THE HISPANIC RESPONDENT: A CASE STUDY OF THE HISPANIC MARKET AND MEDIA USE

Study to evaluate how the birch radio listening interview is perceived by hispanic respondents, and to identify any problem areas. Based on 199 personal interviews, in San Antonio and Miami. respondents were asked to complete the standard Birch radio interview (usually implemented by telephone), and then to answer questions about their understanding of the interview, their ability to recall yesterday listening, their preferred language for this type of interview, the effect of language on their responses, and other opinions and perceptions.

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