LISTENERS' HABITS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 112, 13 May 1937, Page 30

LISTENERS' HABITS

RADIO IN AMERICA

' Habits of listeners play an important part'in the growth of a broadcasting station,: says a writer in the "New York-Times." First, it is believed that the majority consult the printed programmes and select an event without a hunt across the dial. , There are veterans, of course, v/ho may still follow an old habit of turning first to a favourite station to taste of its offer-j ings and, if not satisfied, then shift to a second choice which they know is usually entertaining.. \ : It is believed in the.New York area, according to, radio ■■• statisticians .- who deal- with figures and surveys,' psychology and listening habits,' that the majority of ythe audience is in tune.at a given time with six stations. ,; They are the more powerful, transmitters, the -broadcasters who -by their showmanship and enterprise over a period of years have caused listeners fo'form the habit of tuning for them first before a chase across the dial. ■•* A few years ago-it. was a. : broadcaster's trick to book a-star event at 7 o'clock or : thereabout with the hope ;it -would ensnare many an 7 ear arid ■hold them to that wave throughout the evening. '. Some still adhere 'to- this idea. Listeners, especially, in .areas where the' stations' are not- as plentiful as in? the New! York and Chicago areas, are' known to set the dial-at one station' and continue'-.'oh, that' wave until' the set-is shut'off for the night. .For example,' the1- showmen-at 7WJZ, ■• and more recently at: WEAF.belie'ved for a long time:that thousands formed the habit of picking up Amos-'ii'-Andy at 7 o'clock - and clung: to" that channel long beyond "the 15-minute interval: It is also believed by WEAF'S impresarios that the station has a wide following on Thursday nights from 8 o'clock to midnight, because it presents three onehour shows in a row: Vallee Varieties, Show Boat, and ■ the Bing Crosby programme.. 'Of course, there is noway of • 'telling* exactly how many leave the wave at the end of the 8 o'clock performance to go over to' another station.