RTV Theory and Practice - Special Issue

never listen to the radio; no more than one aduit in 16 is listening at апу one time. INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE RESEARCH The expansion of hours and the even more significant increases in the power used in short-wave transmitters is evidence of concern to hold on to or increase audiences . Few international broađcasters đo апу systematic audience research but rely instead on feedbacK through listeners' letters to gain impressions of how they are đoing . Such impressions are notoriously unreliable . Radio Beijing is one of many stations which encourage people to write offering attractive souvenirs and gifts and it is probable that many of their letter writers may not be regular listeners . The BBC External Services established more systematic and reliable methođs over forty уеагз ago and today commissions sample surveys in around fifteen countries each уеаг . From these surveys the BBC is able not only to assess its own performance and impact but also to see how the competition is faring . The major continuing investments noted earlier in international rađio broadcasting are however based not on systematic market research so much §s on a concern not to be left behind in a race to hold on to a place ог places in the ever more congested short-wave or high frequency radio spectrum. Broadcasters and the governments which mostly bacK them feel that large auđiences are possible to achieve . Very few do actually achieve audiences large enough to measure . Being able to prove that you have substantial numbers of listeners anđ that you have an impact to make all the investment worthwhite seems not to be important . An important exception is the BBC where audience research is reguiređ to show that the investment of public топеу does achieve its objectives . BBC's External Services have carried out audience measurement research for most of its history since its first broadcast in 1932. In the early days research was limited and sporadic and was of course made especially difficult by the Second World War . Surveys are mostly commissioneđ from established market and opinion research organizations . Research is usually conducted with BBC supervision , especially in areas where there аге special difficulties . Sampling is a particular problem where reliable maps , population lists , even census data тау not be available . Surveys аге repeated as often as possible after a suitabie time interval.