Radio Audience Studies

In the recent years two companies TNS/OBP (http://www.obop.com.pl) and SMG/KRC have competed in the research concerning the number of radio and television audiences. After privatization the state agency Public Opinion Research Centre (OBOP, founded in 1958) merged with Taylor-Nelson Sofresse forming TNS/OBOP. The second SMG/KRC Poland Media ś a major research agency is a privately-owned Warsaw company with 11 Polish partners. Both agencies have conducted ćday after recallę surveys: TNS/OBOP using diary questionnaire method, SMG/KRC applying face-to-face interviews at respondentsę homes. Recently SMG/KRC has used the CATI method (Computer Assisted Telephone Interview). This method favours powerful, national range radio/tv stations, which met with protests from regional and local broadcasters, who point out that the telephone network in certain regions of Poland is still inadequate for telephone surveys. That is why in temporary (planned for 2001) research projects, the SMG/KRC standard survey (CATI method) will be combined with diary panel in order to maximize the usage of data. The results of the merged surveys will be used to construct a probabilistic and mathematic model, which is essential for advertising agenciesę activity. The measurement will be conducted on 96.000 respondents sample (30% of the interviews at homes without phones). The date of establishing a company to supervise radio audience research standards is very close. The representatives of radio broadcasters have reached an agreement to found the Polskie Badania Radiowe company (National Radio Audience Survey Company). This company will be created by radio broadcasters (50per cent of the expenses will be covered by national broadcasters, the rest by regional and local ones). From the beginning of 2002, the new survey standard is planned to be in force. Radiometer in radio audience surveys (this technique was experimented by several Polish companies in 2000) was rejected because of its high costs, technical difficulties, and finally because this technique lowers the audience results.

RADIO TRACK results - a continuous study of radio audience

Source:  SMG/KRC, January ś March 2002, sample = 23 729 of the respondents between 15 and 75 years of age.