Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-17
RADIO BODY SEEKS
LISTENERS VERDICT
Commission viii Send Cues
tionnaire to 10000
Amateurs.

Some 100000 American radio lis
teners, unknown to themselves, are to
sit in solemn judgment over the des-
TIMES OF American broadcasting.
Through 10000 radio amateurs In
10000 different communities the Amer
lean listening audience is to decide the
case of Radio Reception Prior to the
Nationwide Reallocation of Last Mo-
vember versus Radio Reception Today"
The Federal Radio Commission has Sc
lected this army of enthusiasts, the
trail blazers of radio, to sit as the jury
in this case as the representatives of
the American listeners. They were
chosen as the best possible cross-section
of the listening public because it nat
urally is impracticable to canvass the
entire audience.
From their opinions the commission
will determine whether the existing ar
rangement of 600-odd stations on the
air is satisfactory and where improve
ments may be made. All of the queS-
tions that are veXing the commission in
radio broadcasting are to be thrust
upon this representative-at-la jury.
These include cleared channel opera
ton as well as regional and local cham
mel service; whether or not duplication
of programs is undesirable and just
how much duplication exists in particu-
lar areas, and similar questions.
Ask 10000 Amateurs.
At the instance of Radio Commits
sioner Lafount and through the CO.
operation of the American Radio Relay
League missionaries shortly are to be
dispatched to these 10000 amateurs.
The listener survey is supplemental to
the station survey now being conducted
by the commission. in which stations
are asked their opinions as to whether
or not their service has improved since
the reallocation. At the same time the
commission is gathering other informa-
ton which it long has desired from
broadcasting stations. A gratifying re-
Spouse already has been received from
the station survey, and the last of the
missionaries now are coming in from
the Western and other distant stations.
The commission is satisfied that on
the whole reception conditions have
been improved, but it wants to obtain
full and complete Information from the
listener as well as the broadcaster. The
perplexing chain broadcasting problem,
involving charges of too much sameneSS
of programs still remains, and that is
one of the big reasons for the listener
survey.
AS a part of the survey the commits
sion is trying to build up listener
spy" system. The very last Of the IA
questions propounded in the question
naire is:
THE commission desires to obtain
the names of a few listeners in each
State who would be willing on receiving
a request from the commission to SUBJ
nit confidential report on the recep-
ton of some station or stations from
time to time. Would you like to have
your name placed on such list?"
Query on Chain Programs.
In addition to the actual comparison
OF reception prior to the ALLEGATION to
reception today, the commission asks
the representative amateur all about
chain programs: his opinion as to
whether there is too much advertising
by broadcast stations; whether or not
the present 40 cleared channels should
be increased or decreased so as to give
best possible reception for the country
as whole, and the maximum power
that should be allowed on these chan
nels, and whether he objects to phono-
graph records or mechanical reproduce
ton being broadcast during the day or
at night.
The listener is asked to list in order
of preference, based solely on the types
of programs, those stations he receives
satisfactorily and listens to regularly.
Conversely, he is asked to list those
stations received with satisfactory VOL
ume, but whose programs are such that
they do not appeal to him, giving his
particular reasons.
In the chain program quiz he is asked
whether he prefers the chain to the
local program, the number of stations
he receives giving the chain program,
and whether he prefers more or fewer
of them to give chain programs.
When the results are had the COM
mission hopes to shave out a station
set-up that will meet the approval of
listeners everywhere and care for their
likes and dislikes.
copyright. 1929, by the Consolidated prs..