NAB Research Grant Recipients' Abstracts

2005 Abstracts

2004 Abstracts

2003 Abstracts

2002 Abstracts

David Allan, Ph.D.
Saint Joseph's University
Philadelphia, PA
dallan@sju.edu

Is less really more? This study is designed to provide the radio and advertising industries with an objective, theoretical foundation to what is being called “Less Is More.” Specifically, this study compares the effectiveness of 30-second and 60-second radio commercials on un-aided recall. The results indicate that the brand recall of commercials of these different lengths is not significantly different although a relationship was observed. However, the general and proven recall of advertising messages from 60-second commercials is significantly greater than from 30-second commercials. Based on these results, this study further suggests the possible rate of these 30-second commercials at 50% below that of a 60-second commercial.

Audience Adoption Intentions and Action in a Competitive Radio Marketplace: Testing a Technology-Choice Model

Carolyn A. Lin, Ph.D.
University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT
carolyn.lin@uconn.edu

In the 21st century, the radio industry has entered a new era. With the introduction of subscription-based satellite radio services, the traditional economic structure of the radio industry—one that offers free terrestrial-based audio services—was changed. And as the growth of online-music download sites has attracted a niche segment of the music audience, online radio services also provide an alternative mechanism for delivering radio programs. A new entrant into this technological beauty contest—digital radio broadcast technology or HD radio technology—is the terrestrial broadcast industry’s response in their attempt to protect and maintain their market share.

The present study proposes to test a “technology choice model” by examining the cognitive and affective processes involved in arriving at an adoption decision for each of the three different technology modalities. A national survey of adult radio listeners randomly selected from 30 markets was conducted. It is expected that study findings will help explain audience (1) beliefs about their needs associated with their use of the radio medium, (2) perceived value of the technology, (3) attitudes towards the technological advantages of the technology, and (4) technology choice intentions and outcomes.

Negotiating Consolidation: The State of Small Radio Groups

Jennifer E. Moore
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
moor0088@umn.edu

The scholarship on changes in broadcast radio ownership since the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 has produced two main bodies of research: 1) empirical studies tracking ownership and radio format trends and 2) "macro" level explanations for the current state of media ownership in the United States. Both approaches conclude that media consolidation is on the rise and 'small group" radio owners are disappearing from the broadcast spectrum. Despite this conclusion, some broadcasters continue to operate independently in markets otherwise dominated by national media corporations. A widespread assumption is that owners who sold had little choice but to sell their properties to national corporations like Clear Channel Communications or face eventual economic failure. The decision to "stay or sell" has not been broadly researched. It would be useful for the industry to know how and why some small radio groups remain in business and resist consolidation with a large national media entity.

Therefore, this study proposes to examine the variables influencing broadcast owners of relatively small-sized commercial radio stations and their decision to remain in business despite a climate of media consolidation and deregulation. This study will use survey research methods to ascertain factors that contribute to, or inhibit, the success of broadcast commercial radio stations that operate independently of large media corporations. Questions will ask about station profitability, format, community involvement, and demographic data, among other variables. Since it is unlikely that current regulations affecting broadcast media will be reversed, it is imperative to understand better how small radio groups negotiate the current paradigm of deregulation.

HDTV and the Advertising Industry: a Survey of Factors Inhibiting and Aiding Adoption in Ad Agencies

Kartik Pashupati, Ph.D, and Alice Kendrick, Ph.D.
Southern Methodist Universtiy
Dallas, TX
kartik@smu.edu & akendric@smu.edu

There is some evidence that the diffusion of High-Definition Television (HDTV) is finally gaining critical mass in the United States. A combination of falling receiver prices and the greater availability of HD programming has stimulated demand for HDTV. The acceptance of HDTV by advertisers and agencies could help to solidify the adoption of this medium. However, reports in the trade press and elsewhere indicate that advertisers have been somewhat cautious in their responses to HD technology. Pilot studies among advertising agency personnel conducted by the authors of this study suggest that even within ad agencies, there are differences in perception of HD technology among media, creative, and account management personnel in ad agencies.

A national online survey of advertising agency personnel will be conducted for this study. A sample of 600 executives representing the top 200 US ad agencies will be selected. Research questions will investigate the factors inhibiting or aiding the adoption of HD technology among agency personnel. Subgroup analyses will be conducted to examine the influence of variables such as agency size, types of client accounts and agency specialization.

Resource Allocation and Managerial Oversight of Morning Newscasts

Debora Halpern Wenger, M.A.
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA
dhwenger@vcu.edu

Even as local television news audiences are declining, morning news programs are expanding. The Project for Excellence in Journalism's "State of the News Media 2004" predicts that the time period before 7 a.m. will be the "most likely area of growth for local news in most markets." The move to expand and add programming would indicate that the industry has identified an audience shift and is adapting to it. This study will seek to answer the following questions:

1. How many news organizations are considering the expansion or addition of morning news programming?
2. Has there been a significant shift in resource assignment and managerial oversight for local morning news programs? Are stations adding or reassigning staff to the morning time period?
3. What impact might larger staffs and more managerial oversight have on morning news ratings for a particular television station?

Media Buyer Perceptions of Media Salespeople

Todd Chambers, Ph.D., Padmini Patwardhan, Ph.D., and Shannon Bichard, Ph.D.
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX
todd.chambers@ttu.edu, padmini.patwardhan@ttu.edu, and shannon.bichard@ttu.edu

This three-wave e-mail/web-based survey examined the perceptions of media buyers about media sales representatives. After an open-ended qualitative pilot study and a quantitative pilot study, 136 media buyers from small, medium and large advertising agencies across the United States answered questions related to the general perception, influence and role of media sales representatives. Overall, the findings suggested a favorable opinion about media sales representatives. In addition, knowledge and information were found to be critical roles of media sales representatives.

Identifying the Goals of Broadcast Weather Training: Developing a Model Approach to Learning Objectives

William R. Davie, Ph.D. and Philip J Auter, Ph.D.
University of Louisiana
Lafayette, LA
wrdavie@louisiana.edu and auter@louisiana.edu

Professional research has shown that audiences consider weather coverage to be among the most important functions of local TV news. And yet how well do mass communication programs address this subject in their curricula? In this study, we offer data from both college campuses and television stations in order to determine what schools are doing to address instruction in weather coverage, and also to find out what professional meteorologists and broadcasters would recommend to improve academic training. Results will point the way to a recommended approach for educators in order to satisfy professional goals while fitting within the context of academic standards and resources.

Consumer Adoption of New Radio Distribution Systems

Don Grady, Ph.D. and Constance Ledoux Book, Ph.D.
Elon University
Elon, NC
gradyd@elon.edu & cbook@elon.edu

Satellite radio, a relatively new paid distribution system for niche radio programming, has engaged almost six million subscribers since its deployment in late 2001 (Manly, 2005). The momentum has spurred newspaper headlines, such as, “Radio Under Siege” and “Satellite Companies Threaten Radio Industry Longevity.”1 While the number of satellite radio subscribers is significantly lower than the 230 million weekly radio listeners enjoyed by terrestrial AM/FM radio, the response to satellite radio raises important questions about the status of AM/FM radio, the audience adopting satellite radio, the impact such adoption has and will have on terrestrial radio, and the important cultural, economic and public policy implications associated with new radio distribution systems (Arbitron, 2005). This study examines a subset of early adopters of satellite radio, described as satellite radio enthusiasts and examines their dynamic relationship with AM/FM radio.

The data collected in this study paints a picture of satellite radio among a specific group of innovators and early adopters—enthusiasts. Radio stakeholders can learn from the findings of this study and use the information as they respond to today’s dynamic radio environment. Terrestrial radio remains the delivery system of choice for radio programming among the vast majority of Americans. The future of the AM/FM industry rests in the retention of that audience by continuing to be a dynamic service, responsive to new distribution systems for radio programming.

Presenting Radio Advertisers in Surround Sound: An Experimental Assessment of New Production Techniques

John W. Owens, Ph.D. and Thomas Haines
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH
john.owens@uc.edu & tom.haines@uc.edu

Francesca Dillman-Carpentier, Ph.D.
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ
Francesca.Carpentier@asu.edu

The purpose of this research project is to compare the impact on the listener of two-channel stereo radio spots to commercials produced in surround sound. Using an experimental design, the investigators have judged the influence of playback format on three dependent variables: listener involvement, entertainment and information acquisition. In order to control for differences in the physical positioning of participants, seating position was added as a second independent variable. The study has attempted to replicate the typical seating arrangement in an automobile (2 in front, 2 behind), while acknowledging that the laboratory is not precisely equitable to listening in a car.

Overall, the results of this investigation do not provide evidence of the superiority of commercials produced in surround sound. However, while not statistically significant, the surround spot was judged to be more engaging and more entertaining than the stereo spot and the control content. In addition, while not rising to statistical significance, those exposed to the surround commercial more accurately recalled the content of the advertisement than those exposed to the stereo spot. These results identify significant potential in the production of advertisements in surround sound.

Identifying Students' Conceptions and Misconceptions Regarding Electronic Media Research

William Evans, Ph.D., Robert F. Potter, Ph.D., and Glenda Williams, Ph.D.
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL
wevans@ua.edu, rpotter@ua.edu, & glenda.williams@ua.edu

The dearth of data regarding students' preinstructional understandings of media research hinders our ability to design more effective learning opportunities. This research assesses undergraduate students’ conceptions and misconceptions regarding research in electronic media. We have developed a web-based survey instrument that can be used by mass media educators nationwide to identify students’ preinstructional beliefs regarding: (1) the role of research in media programming and sales; (2) career opportunities in media research; (3) the skills required to practice media research; and (4) the challenges of coursework in media research. Via this survey, educators can collect pre– and postinstructional data from their students, data that can help educators design more effective learning opportunities in media research. This research launches an ongoing project titled Student Conceptions of Electronic Media Research (SCEMR), a project that aims to increase student interest in pursuing coursework and careers in media research. Participants in this project are supported by a web site available at http://scemr.ua.edu. In this report we describe the process by which we developed and validated the survey. We also present and discuss data from the initial administration of the survey.

Comparison Study: Nontraditional Revenue at Local Television and Radio Stations

Scott R. Hamula
Ithaca College
Ithaca, NY
shamula@ithaca.edu

The broadcast industry has experienced unprecedented change and growth within the last five years. Mergers, acquisitions, and federal law relaxations and restrictions have all changed the landscape for radio and television stations. One result is greater pressure being placed on the advertising sales departments at broadcast entities to meet larger bottom lines and greater investor expectations. However, traditional advertising revenue has been either stagnant or declining in many markets. Accordingly, television and radio stations have increasingly turned to other sources of income referred to as nontraditional revenue (NTR). Typically, sources of NTR have included cause-related marketing, event sponsorship, and Internet-based couponing and sweepstakes. Accordingly, this study reveals the local broadcast television and radio industries’ present and future level of activity in pursuing NTR, the areas in pursuit, and how NTR campaigns are managed from an organizational point of view within the station.

Effects of Narrative Structures in Broadcast News on Appreciation and Recall

Silvia Knobloch, Ph.D.
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI
sknobloc@umich.edu

Certain types of narrative structures of texts, so-called story grammars, have proven to evoke specific emotions, depending on the order of presentation of events. A text that presents events in chronological order is called linear structure, and the prototypical emotional reaction is suspense. A text that initially presents the outcome, revealing the initiating event at the end, is called omission structure, and the prototypical emotional reaction is curiosity. The typical news format has been the inverted-pyramid (most important facts in the beginning).

The overall finding of this report is that news presentations with the various discourse structures failed to produce robust emotional effects on suspense, curiosity, and liking that affective-news theory predicts. Occasionally, partial support emerged for the theory.

Models for Convergence of Local Broadcast and Print Operations: Implications for Industry and Academia

Wilson Lowrey, Ph.D.
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS
wlowrey@comm.msstate.edu

Based on findings from a national survey of newspaper and TV news organizations, this report describes the frequency of partnerships between local TV news organizations and newspaper organizations, the most prevalent types of partnership models, suggests possible explanations for variability among these models, and assesses benefits and costs from these models. The report also compares school administrators’ perceptions of hiring trends with those of newsroom managers.

Investigating the Effects of Commercial Pod Length on Attention, Emotional Response, Attitudes, and Memory in Radio Listeners Across Two Demographic Age Groups

Robert F. Potter, Ph.D.
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL
Robert.Potter@ua.edu

Coy Callison, Ph.D. and Todd Chambers, Ph.D.
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX
Coy.Callison@ttu.edu & Todd.Chambers@ttu.edu

Overall, this study focused on the psychological and physiological effects of advertising clutter on radio listeners. Specifically, the research team used an experimental design to investigate the effects of two different types of radio programming strategies related to the placement of commercial breaks or pods – a cluttered condition where different ‘short’ pods of commercials are placed throughout radio programming and a grouped condition where one ‘long’ pod of commercials is placed at the end of a block of continuous radio programming. Groups of college students (18-24 year olds) and adults (25-54) listened to one of three orders of presentation where current music and commercial pods were professionally-produced to create a ‘radio station’ using either contemporary hit music (CHR) or mainstream country. In addition to measuring attitudes and perceptions about the radio station as well as recognition memory for details in the commercials, the team explored the physiological responses to the advertisements for a subset of each age demographic.

Bandwidth Bonanza: PCTV and the Promise of Digital Business Opportunities for Broadcasters

Brooke Barnett, Ph.D. and Constance Ledoux Book, Ph.D.
Elon University
Elon, NC
bbarnett@elon.edu & cbook@elon.edu

This study explored the potential of PCTV for the broadcast market. Two field studies related to PCTV were conducted in an effort to better understand the computer-based television environment and as a result, business opportunities that might be available to broadcasters. Two field studies were conducted. The first examined early adopters of PCTV technology (N=211) and used Rogers Diffusion Theory to evaluate potential success of the product. Reported relative advantages of PCTV were the ability to record television programming for later playback, to watch high definition television affordably, to multitask using the PC, converge technologies into one platform and to save physical space. Complexities with the product were related to compatibility between PCTV software and the PC operating system. Other complexities included lack of support from software manufacturers, broadcasters and cable companies. Compatibility was low with the Windows operating system and high with DVD movies and lifestyle issues, such as browsing the Web and watching television at the same time. Trialability is currently not available with PCTV. The second study was an intercept field study that included a product demonstration (N=309). Expectancy-Value Theory was used to measure these respondents interest in PCTV. While a majority had heard of the product, expectations of what PCTV could provide remained low and as a result, value and subsequent interest were also low. As broadcasters explore the potential market for PCTV and promote that market, the possibility exists that value related to PCTV could be developed. In other words, PCTV remains an open field waiting for leadership to manifest its diffusion.

An Investigation of Factors Affecting Training and Recruitment of Entry-Level Broadcast Sales People

Jerry Condra
State University of New York at Oswego
Oswego, NY
jcondra@aol.com

This study examines the reasons for an inadequate number of entry level sales candidates at radio and television stations in the United States. It focuses on proactive recruitment of college broadcasting majors by local stations, efforts by broadcast educators to engage their students with station sales professionals, and what mass communication majors learn about broadcasting sales on campus that creates their perception of media selling. Survey results suggest that most broadcast majors are not adequately introduced to sales, which leads to a low level of interest in broadcasting sales as a career. It concludes that broadcasters and educators should work together more proactively to educate students about sales and that stations should offer higher short term, entry-level compensation. It proposes an eight-point station/educator action plan to increase the number of broadcasting majors with an interest in sales.

Broadcast Television News: On-Line Promotion of the On-Air Newscast

Kimberly S. Gregson
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, IN
kgregson@indiana.edu

This project is concerned with the ability of broadcast television stations to take full advantage of their web investment. One aspect of that investment is to increase the size and loyalty of the audience for the on-air programming by promoting it on the website. Two things that seem likely to affect the level of "splashback" of web visitors to the on-air programming are the level of promotion on the website of the on-air broadcast and the usability of the web site.

The goal of this project was to suggest improvements to broadcast station websites that will increase their usability, but also their ability to create a positive image of the station and visitors' willingness to watch a particular broadcast. A content analysis was conducted of broadcast television websites in the top 100 markets and a catalog of online promotion techniques was developed. The results suggest a number of areas that need further investigation. The first is to understand what relationship stations envision between the newscast and the Web site. It may be that stations see the Web site as serving some function completely separate from the newscast, which would explain the lack of features promoting the newscast. This information might be obtained by surveying managers of station promotion departments. These surveys could also be used to determine why certain expected types of information were almost completely missing from these Web sites.

TV Station Ownership in the United States: A Comprehensive Study (1950-2002)

Herbert H. Howard, Ph.D.
The University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN

The purposes of this study are (1) to provide a statistical account of the development of multiple-station ownership in the television industry (1950-2002) and (2) to provide a historical account of the government’s regulatory actions on media ownership from 1940 to 2002. This report is organized in three major sections, giving attention to (1) ownership of TV stations by multiple station owners (groups), (2) cross-media ownership of television stations and daily newspapers co-located in the same local economic market, and (3) the recently permitted practice of duopoly ownership of two TV stations in the same market area. Data are provided for each of these types of ownership at various intervals from 1950 to 2002, along with analysis of ownership trends and the effects of changes in the FCC’s ownership regulations on ownership patterns.

Wait! Don't Turn That Dial! More Excitement to Come! The Effects of Story Length and Production Pacing in Local Television News on Channel Changing Behavior and Information Processing in a Free-Choice Environment

Annie Lang, Ph.D.
Indiana University
Bloomington, IN
anlang@indiana.edu

This paper investigates the relationships among story length, production pacing, viewer age, and channel changing behavior during local television news viewing. Two groups of viewers (college students and community members) watched television for 15 minutes in a laboratory. They were given a remote-control and were able to choose among four local news programs that varied systematically in terms of story length and production pacing. Viewers’ channel changing behavior, evaluations of the newscasts, physiological arousal, cognitive effort, and recognition for the information in the stories were measured. Results showed that, in general, fast pacing increases viewers’ evaluations of the newscasts, but when combined with long stories, decreases younger viewers’ time spent on channel. Pacing and story length have little effect on older viewers’ time spent on channel. In addition, prior to the channel change, viewers showed decreases in cognitive effort, physiological arousal, and recognition for information being presented. Following the channel change, all of these measures increased. Finally, the results showed that during periods of time when viewers are changing channels frequently, they exhibit lower cognitive effort and lower recognition for information being presented compared to periods of time when they are changing channels infrequently.

The Timing of Radio Commercials

Andrew Sweeting
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA
atsweet@mit.edu 

Radio stations have an incentive to coordinate on the timing of commercial breaks in order to reduce the extent to which listeners avoid the commercials by switching stations. Certain times of each hour may also be more attractive for commercials independent of any incentive to coordinate. I use two different approaches to estimate the parameters of the timing game played by radio stations in order to identify the relative strength of these incentives. In the first approach, I use the fact that the incentive to coordinate is stronger in drivetime hours and use the difference in timing choices between drivetime and non-drivetime hours to estimate the incentive to coordinate. In the second approach, I use the existence of multiple equilibria in the timing game (where stations in different markets coordinate on different parts of the hour) to estimate these incentives, focusing on timing choices in the last part of the hour. In both approaches I find significant evidence of an incentive to coordinate during drivetime, which has non-trivial effects on timing choices. I use my estimates of the timing game to analyze how much more coordination on timing there would be if stations maximized their joint payoffs rather than their individual payoffs: I find that joint payoff maximization would result in commercials being almost perfectly coordinated.